Not So Innocent
by DeathGoblin
Summary: Most people assume Pokemon are not evil. A few acknowledge the existence of some mean ones. For Vander the knowledge goes deeper, and he will be forced to come to terms with it as he travels and grows, hoping his team can outmatch his enemies. (Starts 10 years before the anime).
1. Mob Attack

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon or have any rights to it

* * *

Viridian Forest seemed like an odd place for a stroll, especially for the two humans with no pokémon to protect them. However, Vander and Molly had traversed the woods several times. They were not easily lost and had always found their way.

Molly led the way, scanning the flora with well-honed crimson eyes. She was built for these woods with toned arms and legs shown off by her sleeveless shirt and tight jeans. Her brown hair was kept in a single braid down her back. The utility belt looped through her jeans came equipped with all she needed.

Despite similarities, Vander was not her son. Sure he had the same eyes and a similar farmer's tan. His hair was pitch black and cut around his ears and forehead. Unlike his mentor, Vander looked more adept at following her lead than making his own observations. He even dressed like her, though he favored a short-sleeve shirt to a sleeveless.

"Look Vander." Molly pointed to a patch of purple flowers growing near the base of a tree. "Those plants with purple flowers make a great tea."

Vander approached the patch and grabbed a plant at the base of the stem. He pulled the plant up, roots and all, in one swift motion. "So that tap root can be eaten like a carrot and the flowers can be used to make tea."

"The leaves as well," Molly added as she knelt beside him to pluck one of her own. "Can you tell me what the berries on…that tree are?" She pointed to a tree with spherical purple berries.

"Oran Berries." The name rolled off his tongue with ease. As they looked around Vander spotted some vines wrapped around the base of a tree. _Vines don't usually grow like that._ He unsheathed his pocketknife to take a sample, but felt a firm hand on his shoulder before he could move any further.

"Look more carefully at the base of that tree." She pointed to something barely visible around the side of the trunk.

He followed Molly's outstretched finger and saw something yellow. "Is that attached to those vines? What is it?"

"It's a weepinbell, a big one." She let go of Vander's shoulder after he had sheathed his knife. "It was waiting for something to get too close and snag it with one of those vines. It is carnivorous."

"So if I tried to grab or cut those vines it would grab me and eat me?"

"Only if I wasn't here to save you. Firebrand could also protect you, but it is always better to avoid those kinds of situations."

Vander frowned. "I thought wild pokémon always attack head on."

"Pokémon rely on us to help them learn how to reach their potential and so we often forget that they can make their own plans." She turned to pick an Oran Berry and took a bite. "You are teaching Firebrand now, but someday she will evolve. Then she will be smart enough to start teaching you."

The aforementioned charmander came running through the bushes moments later.

Vander noted her flame was bright yellow. "What happened?"

Firebrand began waving her arms before running back towards the nursery with Vander and Molly following. She led them past the four greenhouses and into the cottage.

They saw Molly's machoke, Jeb, passed out on the couch.

The meganium, Willow, was standing over him. The petals around her neck were glowing and releasing a multicolored fragrance.

Molly knelt beside Jeb and began rubbing his forehead. "He is really burning up. When did this start?" _He seemed fine when Vander and I left._ Molly moved to the phone and began calling the Viridian City Pokémon Center. She was soon listing Jeb's symptoms.

The machoke's entire body had a severe fever. His breathing was labored and he seemed to be groaning in his sleep.

When the call ended, Molly began getting ready to leave. "I'll be leaving with Jeb soon," she said to Vander after coming down the stairs and returning Jeb to his poké ball. "He might have a virus and the nurse wants him at the Center over night. She thinks he could be in there for up to a week."

Vander watched Molly rushing around the house, making sure everything was in order before her departure. "You should stay with him in the Pokémon Center. I can look after the nursery for a week."

"Are you sure?" She bent over to look him in the eye and placed her hands on his shoulders. "The murkrow will be here soon. Are you sure you're up to stopping them?"

The last attack had happened at night. Molly had let him and Firebrand sleep through it. All he knew was that Jeb had played an important role in fending them off. "It won't be easy, but I think I can handle it. Firebrand's twice as strong now as last time and we'll have Willow and Webster to help as well right?"

Molly closed her eyes for a few moments and then took a deep breath. "Fine, I will leave you in charge for the next week." She opened her eyes and gave him a tender smile. "Thank you."

XXXOXXX

Jeb's condition was worse than previously thought. The Viridian Pokémon Center lacked the resources to treat him, so Molly had to travel to Saffron City. She would be a day's journey away from the nursery if things went wrong.

Vander had just finished working in the greenhouses when he bolted for the fields. He came to an abrupt stop near Willow, who had been patiently watching the fields from the patio while soaking in the sun's rays. "Did you see them?"

The grass-type opened her eyes and would have rolled them had the boy not been staring at her intently. She shook her head and sighed when Vander had calmed down. Then she grabbed him with her vines before he could walk into the fields and directed him to the back door.

_We did always take a break around this time._ He nodded to her. "Thanks."

Firebrand and Webster, Molly's politoed, joined him a few minutes later. The two had been working out in the fields with Firebrand weeding and Webster handling the irrigation.

The kitchen had a view of the fields through the sliding glass door and the patio. Vander could see all four quadrants of the one-acre field.

_I wonder if she planned it out this way._ Vander then realized something as he brewed the tea. _We could probably see the murkrow if they arrived from the west, the area between here and the mountains and completely clear._

The tea was done a few minutes later. In that time Firebrand and Webster had made three sandwiches. Willow remained content with soaking up the rays of the setting sun.

"So Webster, what were the murkrow like?"

The water-type just shrugged. Then he started to the flap his arms and make pecking motions.

"I know they fly and peck." He thought for a moment. "Are they smart?"

Webster nodded.

"Are they strong?"

Webster shook his head.

"So they are smart, but not strong. There are a lot of them right?"

Webster nodded before biting into his sandwich.

Vander got the hint and began eating as well. He loved the taste of an all peanut butter sandwich. _Why would anyone taint this with jelly_, he had thought numerous times.

The other two had their own unique sandwiches; Webster's having an unknown blend of pokémon food and Firebrands having her daily serving of meat.

The sun was noticeably lower when they finished eating and began the cleanup.

Vander consulted a map of the nursery, hung on the wall opposite the sliding doors. "So how much of the field have you guys weeded?"

Firebrand pointed to the most northwestern quadrant. Then she shook her head.

"So you've weeded everything except that spot. All three of us should probably finish that one up before nightfall." He then looked at Webster. "You finished watering them all right?"

Webster nodded.

XXXOXXX

The next two days had gone a similar way, with Molly phoning them at night for an update and to reassure Vander that he was doing fine.

Webster was helping Firebrand comb the fields. Cloudy weather meant approaching rains. Watering would be unnecessary. Willow had left her usual perch at the patio to help Vander germinate some seeds in the greenhouse.

When the black feather glided to the ground a few feet away it had an immediate effect.

The normally cheerful politoed stiffened up, his eyes squinting as he picked up the feather and examined it closely. A brief scan of the sky revealed nothing, and then he was off. First he found Firebrand who was weeding one quadrant away.

Upon seeing the feather the she guessed what was happening. She kept weeding, but now her senses seemed sharper, adrenaline coursed through her. Her eyes would remain on the ground for no more than a few seconds before she glanced upwards to scan the skies around her.

Willow had finished helping Vander with seed germination and the two were heading back to the fields when Webster intercepted them.

It only took a moment for Vander to piece things together. "They're here?" He looked up, but saw nothing through the clouds. "You two should get to the fields. I'll lock up here so they can't get at the seeds."

Like many wild pokémon, the murkrow were not strong enough to get into the greenhouses and based on Molly's stories, even an average human could take them on armed with a stick.

With that in mind, he ran inside to get a club Molly had made a few years ago. It was meant for an adult and somewhat unwieldy in his hands, but he could at least swing it around. With the greenhouses locked up and a weapon in hand, he ran out the back door to join the pokémon.

They had formed a sort of triangle with Willow standing near the patio to survey the situation. Webster and Firebrand were each patrolling the edges of the north and southwest quadrants respectively.

Vander took another brief look at the sky before taking up a post in the middle of all the quadrants. His eyes remained glued to the sky as he paced back and forth. Ears were sharper than he ever remembered and he would cock his head at even the slightest sound. Hands maintained a tight grasp of his club, ready to take the heads off any murkrow who dared to challenge him.

A lone black feather floated down from the sky, its source obscured by the clouds.

Vander only had to look once before his eyes darted around, scanning the sky for its source.

There was a sound of glass shattering. One of the cottage windows had been broken.

Vander resisted the urge to check it out. "Willow, go check that out!"

The grass-type obeyed and began running around the house.

Vander's mind wandered a little. _Molly never mentioned them attacking the buildings!_ He remained frozen in place until something struck him in the back.

There was cackling.

Vander leapt to his feet and grabbed his weapon, but the instigator had disappeared. _Did a murkrow just Faint Attack me? What's going on?_ He began circling as he paced back and forth, but the murkrow seemed to have lost interest. Oddly enough, he noticed none of the berries had been touched yet.

A cry rang out from the other side of the cottage.

"Willow!" Vander also heard Webster and Firebrand moving towards the cottage. _I should tell them to stop! They're being lured away from the crops, but Willow could be in danger!_ After a brief moment's hesitation he reluctantly moved towards the patio. _I'll just stop there, that'll be close enough to Willow, but I can still see the crops._

A jet of fire shot through the air and several murkrow scattered, but something else shot up even faster.

Vander could hear Firebrand and Webster battling as he reached the patio. There was a chorus of cackles. _The murkrow never attack like that! Molly said we'd only have to beat them back as they tried to feed!_

There was an even larger chorus of cackles, and what looked like a large shadow descended from above the clouds and onto the fields.

Vander turned around just in time to receive a punch to the gut. All he saw was a dark blur before he was winded and on his back. He sat up and saw what looked like a larger murkrow standing a few feet away.

However, the differences ran deeper than its size. It had a straighter beak, a larger and smoother hat with a much bulkier build all around. A prominent tuft of white hair covered its puffy chest. It opened its wings, revealing red inner feathers and was airborne with a single flap.

Vander got to his feet as fast as he could and ducked as the pokémon swooped over him and landed on the cottage roof. _What is it? Uber Murkrow?_ He picked up his club and held it like a baseball bat.

A ball of blue energy shot up from the other side of the house and entered the clouds. The downpour began moments later. There were shrieks as the murkrow scattered and headed for shelter in the forest. However, the larger bird merely looked up at the clouds before locking eyes with Vander.

_I'm totally outclassed!_ It was a familiar feeling. He ducked again as it swooped over him before circling around and disappearing into the forest.

XXXOXXX

"….and it was larger and stronger than the other murkrow." Vander finished his account to Molly over the videophone. "I checked the crops this morning, the rain is keeping the murkrow away, but they were able to get a few berries."

"Some damage always happens," Molly replied. "Even with Jeb we can usually expect to lose ten percent of our berries. Pamtre berries command a high price so it is above our economic threshold." She ran a hand through her unbraided hair. "You said the murkrow shattered one of the windows, and then attacked Willow."

"Yeah. Firebrand was able to weld the glass shut, but it doesn't look pretty. Willow looks okay, but I'm having her rest for all of today."

She nodded and smiled. "Despite what has happened, you are doing well." Then she became more serious. "Webster bought you some time, but I don't think the rain will last for more than a day or two. That was what the local forecast said and Webster just made it happen sooner. This also means that the murkrow will be stuck here."

"I'll try and research the big one."

"You should also consider that Firebrand might not be able to fight in such wet conditions."

Vander nodded then thought of anther question. "How'd you fight the murkrow with Jeb around? You said they were never this aggressive or organized, but the field is so big. How'd you do it?"

"As I said, they came down in disorganized mobs and were only interested in feeding. They were also pretty weak so we just had to attack them to drive them off. Jeb would use Stone Edge, Webster would use Hyper Voice and I would just swing my club around. We could usually drive them off before they did serious damage. If the winds were correct, Willow could spread Poison Powder or Sweet Scent around. That's why she was always up near the patio."

"I think that big one is the real problem. It probably organized them. It's also the only one that could've broken the window or beaten Willow so quickly."

Molly's cell phone began ringing and her eyes widened when she saw whom it was from. "I have to go now. There is an update on Jeb's condition. Focus on finding out what that mystery pokémon is."

The call ended seconds later and Vander closed the phone app before pulling up a web browser. When Firebrand crawled into his lap to observe, Vander realized how big she was. "You're almost a charmeleon. Just a few inches more and a head crest and people might think you've evolved already."

Firebrand only nodded. She could barely fathom the idea of being able to carry her trainer, let alone fly him across vast distances.

"So first we need to know what we're looking for." Vander recalled the creature's appearance. "It's definitely not a murkrow, but it's also similar to one." He typed in evolved form of murkrow. "Honchkrow?"

A click on a page that was part of an online encyclopedia revealed an image that matched what Vander had seen.

Firebrand's eyes also lit up with recognition.

Vander began scrolling down and reading out loud. It was the same type as a murkrow, however a murkrow could only become one with a Dusk Stone. "How does a wild murkrow find a Dusk Stone?" He realized wasn't an important question. There were plenty of cases involving wild Pokémon stealing things from humans. _All it had to do was find and touch one._

Soon the pair joined Webster and Willow down in the living room to discuss their findings.

"My guess is that Honchkrow took control of the murkrow flock and made them more like what we saw today. So beating Honchkrow might make them panic."

The other three nodded.

Then Willow, who had been lying next to the sofa turned to look out the window. It had been pouring all night, hence why they chose Pamtre Berries earlier on. Knowing the murkrow were waylaid, she slowly got up and eyed the muddy terrain through the glass.

Vander joined her at the window. "That'll make running difficult." Then his eyes drifted to the trees. "They'll be sleeping up there. Maybe if we attacked while they were still in the trees, we could drive them off." He turned to Willow. "Can you reach up into the canopy with Poison Powder?"

She shook her head, but then produced several vines and smiled.

"Vine Whip? I guess we could use that." He cupped his chin and stare out into the forest. "I'm going out there. We'll need to see where they are sleeping. Murkrow usually only come out around night so they probably won't attack."

Firebrand began tugging at his pants. She wanted to follow him, but rain made it impossible.

Webster gave her a pat on the head before volunteering himself. They left once Vander had donned the appropriate gear.

The raincoat kept his head and upper body dry, but Vander steered clear any particularly wet patches that could splash his pants. Rain and wet patches became less of a problem under the canopy.

They had not walked far when they heard fluttering above. The branches above were filled with murkrow.

Most were asleep, but Vander saw a few glancing around. _I'll bet Honchkrow's on one of the higher branches._ He turned to Webster and put a finger to his lips, receiving a nod in response.

What followed was a nearly hour long process in which they tried to map out the size of the flock's roosting site. They found that the roost began twenty feet from the edge of the forest and continued another one hundred feet in. It stretched the entire border between the forest and nursery. After returning home they drew out a rough map of where the flock roosted relative to the property.

"They'll be able to attack from a few different directions, but all will be coming from the same place relative to the fields. We might be able to beat a bunch of them back, but Honchkrow will be tough and it has a very big flock. We need something to knock out or occupy as many murkrow as possible." He turned to Webster. "Know any ice moves?"

Webster shook his head.

"Then we'll…maybe." Vander quickly put on his raincoat. "Let's go back out Webster, I have an idea." He began tying the laces on his boots. "We might be able to find some pokémon in forest to help us fight. If we can keep enough murkrow occupied, we'll be able to fight Honchkrow more easily."

They set out again and this time they waked past the roosting murkrow.

"What we need to find is a large group of pokémon. Maybe a flock of pidgey."

However an hour-long search failed to turn up any pokémon they could talk to. Most were up in the trees, and calling them didn't work.

As they turned back Webster spotted something and grabbed Vander's raincoat sleeve. With the boy's attention he pointed to a nearby tree with several kakuna hanging from it.

_Where there's kakuna there's beedrill._ It was a basic lesson. "We can't ask them for help." He then tested the forest floor. _It's not too slippery._ "Hey Webster, do you think you can outrun a swarm of beedrill?"

He was confused at first, but shrugged and the shook his head.

They moved on and came to a river. It looked to be flowing south, past Viridian City and towards the northern edge of Pallet Town.

"I remember crossing a bridge with my dad when we went to visit Professor Oak." He followed the river with his eyes. "It looks deep and the current's pretty strong. Webster, could you drag us both against the current if you had to?"

He nodded. Vander wasn't giving him much to go on and he seemed to be making several plans at once.

They followed the river to a point where it widened. The rain was making it swell slightly.

"Hey look." Vander pointed out a weepinbell. It was trying to hide behind one of several riverside trees. Soon Vander spotted several more, each hiding behind a different tree. "They're waiting to ambush whatever comes for a drink." He smiled and began to approach them. "Hey Weepinbell!"

XXXOXXX

Willow closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She was frowning. It wasn't because of the rain, but Vander's plan. However she had agreed to it anyway and was currently building up her strength. Her frown deepened and her muscles began to stiffen up. Then her neck petals were glowing with a bright golden energy before large gold beams shot out from them and into the clouds.

It was the mother of all Sunny Day attacks.

Willow smiled proudly as the once dense clouds began to part. It would hold the rain at bay for at least five hours. She hoped Vander's plan could come together in that time.

It was only twenty minutes before the cackling began. A large mass of black erupted from the trees.

Vander watched carefully from his spot behind a greenhouse as the swarm passed over the cottage. He clutched Webster's poké ball in his right hand.

Willow mustered up what strength she could and began swiping at the swarm as it passed overhead. Several murkrow fell to her attacks while the rest neared the field.

They were flying in a fairly tight formation when Firebrand emerged from between the rows and spewed out a Flamethrower. These immediately made them scatter, knocking several out and frightening the others.

It was only a few minutes into the battle when Willow saw Honchkrow. It descended upon her beak first. She pulled her vines back and braced herself as the Drill Peck landed. However she wrapped her vines around her opponent's wings before it could fly away. Now all she could do was hold on for as long as possible, bracing herself as the angry bird slashed and pecked at her.

Vander's heart raced as he ran up to the patio and grabbed one of the unconscious birds by the neck.

Honchkrow shrieked when it saw him grab the murkrow.

Vander was soon running with the bulk of the murkrow swarm chasing after him.

Firebrand had her hands full with three murkrow circling and attacking her. She leapt above a Peck from one only to get knocked to the ground by another's Faint Attack. Then she rolled aside to avoid another Peck from the third.

Willow's eyes remained tightly shut. Each blow from Honchkrow sent a sharp pain coursing through her from the point of impact. She squeezed her vines as hard as she could around its wings. Sunny Day had drained her; otherwise she would be using them to slam Honchkrow into the ground.

Firebrand was now leaping back as the murkrow dove at her. Then she spun around and sent Ember at the three.

They blocked with their wings, giving the Firebrand time to tackle one to the ground, putting all of her weight onto its head as they fell.

With one down she turned to the other two just in time to receive a Peck to the chest.

The murkrow was about to pull back, but its attack did negligible damage.

Soon Firebrand had her claws firmly attached to its hat.

Screeching and struggling were futile and it was soon engulfed in a hot jet of fire.

The third murkrow backed away as its ally was roasted by Flamethrower. A single glare from Firebrand sent it into full-blown retreat until another black swarm emerged from the trees.

Honchkrow had held back half the flock. Now, driven by hunger and seeing an opportunity, they flew over the cottage and onto the berry fields.

XXXOXXX

Vander didn't care how much noise he made breathing. His lungs were burning as he ran through the forest. The angry caws of the murkrow swarm echoed through the forest, though he knew they were slower than him here.

The kakuna and their beedrill protectors were still asleep when the boy ran by their tree. They didn't know he threw something, only that a murkrow slammed into one of them and that a flock of them was apparently wreaking havoc in the forest.

Soon there was a swarm of beedrill following after the murkrow.

Vander smiled when he heard a faint buzzing amidst the angry caws. Soon he had reached the river. "Webster!"

The politoed emerged from the poké ball and the pair quickly dove into the river.

Once in the water, Webster began towing Vander against the current. He could hear the murkrow flying above them, but their shrieks of anger quickly turned to ones of distress.

They surfaced several feet away from the site of the battle.

The beedrill were easily more than a match for the surprised murkrow. Their Twineedle attacks dispatched their less experienced opponents in a few hits. A few, unlucky enough to take too many Pecks, fell into the river.

XXXOXXX

Willow felt the last of her strength slipping away.

Honchkrow was almost free when Firebrand leapt onto its back.

She latched on with her claws.

Willow lost her grip.

Firebrand clung on as Honchkrow flew into the air, her eyes shut tightly.

Honchkrow's flew in loops, swooping and diving at high speed. It began shrieking hen he charmander wouldn't let go.

The murkrow ignored their leader's distress. Hunger drove them to ignore the battle and feed on the berries. It looked like the fields were unguarded, and they eyed the fruits lustfully, each one picking a tree to gorge itself. This would provide plenty of energy to complete their migration.

Firebrand was finally able to focus and spewed out a Fire Spin, engulfing both her and Honchkrow in flames.

Honchkrow shrieked and began tapping into even greater speed.

Firebrand dug her claws deeper into its hide.

It was able to dislodge her after looping around several times, at the cost of a few feathers.

Firebrand's tail flame turned bright yellow as she plummeted toward the patio. She shut her eyes, her body tensed and ready for impact.

The murkrow had eaten their first berries when they began feeling strange. Movement suddenly became more difficult. Those few that looked down bolted as fast as they could, flying shakily to the forest.

Vines began creeping up the base of the trees and coiling around the ankles of the oblivious bird pokémon. Soon the field was filled with surprised chirps of those who had not flown away as they were yanked down the sides of the trees.

Firebrand opened her eyes when she felt something wrap around her torso and slow her fall. Soon she was set gently onto the patio.

With the last of her strength expended Willow closed her eyes. It was a well-deserved rest.

After thanking Willow, Firebrand looked out at the fields. The losses were minimal, and the bulk of the murkrow were either eaten or in retreat. Her thoughts strayed to Vander. The only murkrow unaccounted for were chasing him.s

Vander and Webster came running out of the woods. Both were soaked, but neither was damaged. However Webster did look a little tired having dragged Vander upstream and the run alongside him.

"It worked!" Vander saw the murkrow flock retreating into the woods. They approached the patio and Vander knelt beside Willow. "Sorry you had to go through that." He rubbed her head and then looked inside where Firebrand was already fetching her ball.

Her flame was its normal color, but seemed to flick about more vigorously at the sight of her trainer. She jogged through the open sliding glass doors and presented Vander with Willow's poké ball.

Vander took Willow's ball and then scratched Firebrand below the chin. "I'm proud of you. I saw Honchkrow flying on the way here, and it looked like it was on fire."

Firebrand almost ignored the compliment, purring as she Vander kept scratching her favorite spot.

Soon all the pokémon were inside. Willow and Webster were resting in their balls while Firebrand sat with Vander in the kitchen.

"The weepinbell will probably leave when the rain starts up. Let's avoid the fields until tomorrow." They looked up at the sky where the clouds were starting to come back. "It'll start raining in another hour. Willow really outdid herself." He stood up and got ready to go back out.

Firebrand looked up from her bowl of meat and hopped down from her chair and booster seat.

Vander held his hand out as she tried following him out. "Keep eating. I'm just going to check on the greenhouses before the rain comes back." He began a brief sweep of the greenhouses, plucking any weeds he saw from the flats.

XXXOXXX

Twenty minutes later the clouds had grown noticeably more prevalent. Rain would most likely fall within the hour.

Vander shut the door to the last greenhouse. He had only walked a few feet towards the cottage when a powerful blow to the back sent him face-first into the muddy ground. _What the?_ Rolling onto his back he scanned the area around him, but saw nothing.

A black feather floated to the ground behind him.

When he stood, the sight of it made his heart race. _I should call Firebrand!_ However a sound behind him prompted him to turn. He raised a fist only to double over as what felt like a fist collided with his gut.

Honchkrow landed little over a foot away from the kneeling child. It waited until Vander looked up before slapping him with its wing.

The blow made everything shaky. He was now on all fours, trying in vain to stand. It felt either like his body was too heavy or that the ground was spinning and tilting. Then a sharp pain struck his back, followed by several others in rapid succession.

Honchkrow's Pecks drew blood almost immediately. Never striking twice, it chose a new spot each time. It favored creating a new wound over deepening an older one.

Then Vander found his voice.

Honchkrow remained unfazed by the screams or the blood as it peppered the boy with more pecks.

"MANDER!" Firebrand's angry screech finally halted the bird pokémon's attack. Her flame was now triple its usual size, bluish white and flickering violently.

Honchkrow locked eyes with its new challenger. Its feathers were still singed from the Fire Spine, and its back still ached from the claw marks. A few wing flaps had it airborne.

Firebrand spun around and sent Ember flying from her tail towards Honchkrow's face. She the flattened her body against the mud as Honchkrow sailed above her. The mud made it slightly difficult to push herself up.

Honchkrow turned around just as she stood up. It knocked her back down and continued its flight path. Circling round, it came back for another pass.

Firebrand raised her head and spat out a Flamethrower.

Honchkrow swerved left to evade the attack before circling and swopping at Firebrand's back.

She predicted the attack and flicked several pellets of Ember from her tail flame.

Vander finally mustered up the strength to stand in spite of the searing pain on his back. He saw Firebrand stop Honchkrow with an Ember

The bird pokémon recovered quickly and circled around. It then tried to swoop in and strike again.

_She needs to get off the ground and grab Honchkrow._ Vander saw Honchkrow swooping in. "Use Flamethrower on the ground!"

Firebrand inhaled deeply before sending Flamethrower into the ground below her. The jet of fire pushed her into the air. She figured out the next part on her own.

Honchkrow tried to stop itself, but its momentum carried it past Firebrand.

She dove head first, arms outstretched. Her claws grasped Honchkrow's tail feathers. Then she tucked her tail between her legs to avoid dragging it.

Honchkrow tried to stop, hoping Firebrand's momentum would cause her to fly loose, but her grip was too strong. Firebrand's momentum pulled Honchkrow with it and they were both on their backs in the mud.

Maintaining her grip with one hand, Firebrand turned onto her belly and opened her mouth.

"Watch its legs!"

Firebrand caught an incoming kick from one of Honchkrow's legs and maintained an ironclad grip. She let go of the bird's tail feathers and soon had the other leg in her grasp.

Honchkrow's kicks were no longer landing. It could only hope to shake Firebrand loose with brute force.

Firebrand opened her mouth again and spewed out a Flamethrower. It hit Honchkrow's white chest feathers, scorching them immediately.

Vander's smile faded when he felt the first drop land on his nose. It was drizzling.

Honchkrow howled in pain. Its movements became more spastic.

"Use Fire Spin and break away!"

Firebrand was starting to feel the drops when she heard the command. She spewed out a spiraling flame that engulfed Honchkrow's body. She let go a moment later.

Honchkrow kicked her off the moment its legs were free and righted itself before taking flight. The searing pain lasted only seconds due to the combination of rolling over and increasing rain.

Firebrand felt the opposite way. She tucked her tail between her legs to try and shelter her shriveling flame. It was turning bright yellow.

Honchkrow swooped towards the cringing fire lizard, its body surrounded by a bright white aura.

_Sky Attack?_ Vander quickly scooped up some mud and threw it at the bird.

The first glob struck it in the side, throwing off its aim. Honchkrow circled around and received another in the chest.

Firebrand began shaking as the raindrops became more prevalent.

Vander saw Honchkrow land atop one of the greenhouses and began scrambling towards Firebrand. He stumbled after trying to run, and had to settle on a fairly quick walk. The raindrops were slightly relieving to his back wounds.

Firebrand's flame was a fraction its normal size when he reached her.

Vander tucked her underneath his t-shirt. It was an improvement.

The downpour picked up.

Vander knew his clothes would be soaked soon. _Why didn't I bring her poké ball with me?_ He turned to Honchkrow who now stared down at him.

Their eyes met.

The boy and charmander were weak now. It could finish them with a Sky Attack. That would leave it drained and caught out in the rain. Its wings still held a fair amount of mud, which would take a few hours to fully preen out. Its flock had scattered. They were probably scared without it to guide them.

Vander knelt as Honchkrow swooped at them. The bird barely missed his head. Honchkrow had already retreated into the woods when he turned around. Then he remembered his soaked clothes, and thus began the grueling slog back to the cottage.

XXXOXXX

Honchkrow and its flock never returned to the farm within the week even when the rains stopped, a mere day after the battle. Molly and Jeb were back home the next week and life almost became normal.

Molly and Vander were drinking tea at the kitchen table. The pokémon had gone outside to enjoy the midsummer weather.

"I told Professor Oak about the murkrow attack and everything that happened."

Vander took a sip before setting down the half-full cup. "Is he mad?" _Firebrand might've died._

Molly chuckled and shook her head. "I started by telling him that you were both okay. First he asked me a bunch of unanswerable questions about Honchkrow." As planned this made Vander crack a smile. "Then he told me that he thinks you are ready."

There was a moment of silence.

"Ready? I can travel now?"

"Is staying here such bad thing?" Molly reached over the table to ruffle his hair. "Just wait until your wounds heal up."

Vander's back was now peppered in reddish spots. They would most likely scar up when fully healed. Thankfully the black eye on his face would most likely disappear.

"The professor is not just letting you leave. Firebrand is technically still his pokémon. There will be rules."

Vander gulped down the last of his tea. "What are they?"

"You are not allowed to go chasing after you-know-who with Firebrand. This rule will apply until you've beaten the Elite Four." She took another sip of tea. "After you beat them, Firebrand will be yours and you can chase after him all you want."

Vander nodded. _He is letting me take one of his rare pokémon so I guess it's fair._ "I'm okay with that. Are there any more rules?"

Molly nodded. "He wants you to take notes on what you see." She finished her tea. "He is working on creating a portable encyclopedia for young trainers. Since this is the first time he has let someone leave with a rare pokémon he thought it would be a good opportunity to document how well it grows."

"Got it. I'll keep a diary and take notes every day." He got up and put his teacup in the sink. "I'm going to make a list of everything I need."

After placing her cup in the sink Molly gave Vander a tap on the nose. "Remember to come and visit. You can challenge me when you're ready."

"I will," Vander replied before giving her a hug. Then he ran out the back door to tell Firebrand.

They would set out in a little over a week later when his black eye had faded and the painful read spots on his back had turned into diamond-shaped scars.


	2. The Road to One Eighth

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon or have any rights to it.

* * *

Though they had lived in Viridian Forest, Pewter City was still a two-day walk from the Nursery.

"There it is." Vander pointed to the bland looking gym that would be their first target. While it was meant for less experienced trainers, Vander knew the rock types would still give Firebrand with decent challenge.

Though also eager, Firebrand tugged at Vander's pant and tried to lead him towards the Pokémon Center they had passed on their way. She wouldn't fight before breakfast.

Vander smiled and rolled his eyes. "Alright, we'll go eat first. Just don't gorge yourself." Once inside Vander had Firebrand eating at one of the tables in the Center's dining area. While she ate, he was booking their room.

"Are you sure you'll only need three days?" Nurse Joy looked over to Firebrand. Though large for her kind she was still a fire type. "You might need more time to beat Flint."

"Can I extend my stay later?"

The nurse nodded and gave Vander a room key.

On his way to their booth in the dining area, Vander took note of the computers in the lobby. There were only three, but that was all that this center required. As with most, they could double as videophones.

A few minutes later the pair were in their room.

"Time for a bag check." Vander began laying out their supplies on their room's bed.

His backpack had several compartments. The largest back pouch contained Vander's clothes, t-shirts socks, underwear and long cargo pants, and their wilderness cooking gear. The smallest front pouch held their food, mostly meat for Firebrand. There were two small side pouches that held Vander's poké balls and a pocketsize notebook and pen.

Firebrand pointed to their food. While her trainer could always forage for his food, her meat had to be bought. Pokémon hunting had been illegal for years.

"I'll need to get a job." Vander pulled out his wallet and checked the money Molly had given him. "This only gives us a few weeks and I don't want to keep asking her for help."

With their plans laid out the pair returned to the Pewter Gym.

A man with spiky brown hair and dark brown skin was waiting for them inside. It might have been the dim lighting, but Vander swore his eyes were like slits. "You came to challenge me." He stood up from the rocky slab at the other end of the gym.

Firebrand stepped into the rocky battlefield. _"If you can't beat rock and water types, you'll never be able to beat His venusaur."_ Vander had told her that during their two-day journey. Her tail flame doubled in size, the tongues whipped around more violently.

"Nice size." Flint sounded somewhat impressed. "Are you still sure you want to use it against my rock types." He produced a poké ball and out came a rhyhorn in a flash of white light.

It began pawing at the ground, locked onto Firebrand.

The gym leader nodded when he was sure Vander wouldn't change his mind. "Alright then. Brock, come referee our match!"

A child only a few years younger than Vander arrived moments later and stood to Vander's right, in line with the midpoint of the rocky battlefield. He looked like a younger version of Flint minus the stubble, and with significantly scrawnier arms. "Alright dad I'm ready!"

Flint nodded to his son before looking back at Vander. "This is a two on two match and only you may substitute pokémon." He raised an eyebrow when he noticed the look on Vander's face. "Do you have a problem with my rules kid?"

"I only have one Pokémon." His reply made Brock chuckle, though a stern look from Flint ended it. "Are you okay with one on one?"

Flint gave Vander a brief stare down before breaking it and then laughing. "Fine. I'll battle your charmander for now, but there'll be no guarantees." He gave Brock a nod, which the young referee returned.

"The battle is between the Gym Leader's rhyhorn and the challenger's charmander." He waved the flags. "Begin!"

"Take Down!"

The ground shook as Rhyhorn barreled towards Firebrand.

Flint frowned when he saw Firebrand holding her ground. Most trainers would have wanted a dodge. Then his eyes widened when Firebrand's jaws opened on their own and Flamethrower struck Rhyhorn at point-blank range.

Rhyhorn not only stopped, but also appeared burnt.

_That's not a beginner's charmander!_

"Flamethrower again!"

"Use Horn Attack to stop it!"

Rhyhorn was barely able to gather momentum. The Flamethrower scorched his skin, yet their proximity allowed him to at least make contact with Firebrand.

The impact pushed her back a few feet, but she recovered quickly.

Flint frowned as he watched his pokémon struggling to stand before collapsing onto his side.

Rhyhorn fainted from the intense pain.

_Poor Rhyhorn, you were only meant for beginning trainers, not more experienced ones._ However Flint's face showed almost no emotion.

"Rhyhorn is unable to battle," Brock stuttered. He pointed a flag at Vander and Firebrand. "Charmander is the winner." He looked back at his father, who nodded. "That means that the challenger wins."

Flint called back his Rhyhorn. "Good job son," he said with a genuine smile, making Brock visibly relax. Then he turned to his opponents and frowned. "You're not a beginner, even if this is your first badge. I thought your charmander was unusually large, but now I can't give you then Boulder Badge in good conscience."

Firebrand turned to her trainer and then looked at Brock. Both boys seemed equally confused.

Vander's wore off in seconds. "Why not? We won and it was a fair fight."

"You did." Flint nodded. "However that rhyhorn was only meant for novices, and you were obviously overqualified. Tell me, how long have you been training with that charmander?"

"A year and a few months." He looked straight into the gym leaders eyes, unable to read them. "Why does that matter? Isn't our experience a good thing?"

Flint nodded again. "I wasn't saying you did something wrong, but I would have used a different pokémon if I had known about your experience." He then turned to look at Brock as if telling the boy to pay attention. "It's a gym leader's job to test the challengers using a pokémon of around equal strength. That's why I've saved my stronger pokémon for stronger challengers. If you want the badge you can complain to League officials, but if you really want to be ready for the Pokémon League." He produced another poké ball. "Battle the Pokémon I have here."

Vander's disappointment faded. _If I don't beat strong opponents, I'll never be able to beat Him. Firebrand needs this._ He looked to Firebrand who gave him a nod. "Fine, we'll battle the other one."

"This one will be a better match for that charmander." Flint threw the ball.

An onix emerged from it, growling as it materialized before staring down at Firebrand.

"Onix is one of my strongest pokémon. He's much stronger than Rhyhorn." Flint looked over at Brock and received nodded.

Brock raised both his flags. "Alright. This match is between the gym leader's onix and the challenger's charmander. Same rules as before. Begin!"

Vander saw Firebrand's gaze turn upwards. This was her biggest opponent yet. "Don't let it intimidate you. Onix is just a bigger target."

Firebrand nodded, and her flame remained large and violent.

"Flamethrower."

"Harden."

Onix' body stiffened up. He flinched slightly when the flames made contact, but was otherwise undamaged.

_That looks about right._ "Now Onix use Dig."

The rock snake broke free of the flames and burrowed underground with surprising speed.

_Uh-oh!_ Both Vander and Firebrand looked around rapidly. _Onix could come up anywhere!_

The ground started rumbling.

"Firebrand use Flamethrower to launch yourself into the air!"

Firebrand summoned up a large jet of flames from her mouth that launched her into the air just as the ground broke apart below.

Onix was back at the surface and behind Firebrand.

Flint smiled. "Smash it down with your tail."

Onix complied and again with surprising speed brought his tail down on Firebrand.

She was helpless and took the full force of the attack. Onix burrowed soon after she landed.

"Come up underneath charmander again and then use Rock Throw."

"Brace yourself Firebrand!" It was all Vander could think of and he watched closely as Firebrand got ready.

She jumped as Onix emerged, taking less than damage as a result.

_There!_ "Flamethrower!"

_That won't work._ "Onix Harden."

The rock snake stiffened just as the Flamethrower made contact. Though he winced as it blew up against him, the damage was still minor.

"Now continue with Rock Throw."

Onix brought its body down towards the now falling Firebrand.

"Hurry dive in the hole Onix made to escape!"

Firebrand made a diving pose so her body moved faster and landed at the bottom before Onix could make contact. Now she was trapped over ten feet underground.

"That was a mistake," said Flint frankly. "You've effectively cut yourself off from your pokémon." He looked at Onix. "Use Earthquake to bring it to the surface."

Onix nodded before rearing higher into the air and the slamming down on the ground. He repeated this several times.

To Vander the ground looked disturbingly fluid as Onix repeatedly slammed into it. _Come on Firebrand…Please get out of there somehow._ He began imagining what it felt like being in during the Earthquake. The next large tremor managed to drop him to one knee.

Flint and Brock were able to sway with it.

Firebrand eventually emerged from the ground atop a small lump of earth that had slowly been pushed up. She stood hurriedly as Onix came barreling towards her.

The rock snake almost slammed into her with its head.

Firebrand leapt above, and began clinging to his head crest. She struggled to hold on as the rock snake started shaking his head back and forth.

_We still have a chance_. "Flamethrower on its head!"

Firebrand opened her mouth and bathed Onix' head in a flood of searing flames.

Onix howled in pain.

Vander smiled. _It looks like its working!_

"Dig."

Onix quickly burrowed into the ground with Firebrand still on his head. The rock snake soon erupted from the ground. Firebrand was barely gripping his head crest.

"Finish it."

With a loud roar Onix first threw Firebrand off with a headshake and then sent then her hurtling into the wall behind Vander with a tail swipe.

"Firebrand!" Vander was at her side moments after she landed. He picked her up before turning back to Flint. "We lost," he said quietly.

"The gym leader wins," announced Brock.

"You put up a good fight, but ultimately fire type attacks don't work that well on rock types. Get a water or grass type and challenge me again. I'll look forward to it."

"I will challenge you again," Vander replied with a fierce look in his eyes, "but I have to use Firebrand to beat you." He turned away and after exiting the gym went straight to the Pokémon Center.

Flint frowned, staring after him. _Why?_

XXXOXXX

Vander and Firebrand sat at a booth in the Pokémon Center. The nurse had finished healing Firebrand a few minutes ago.

"We need to find a way to pierce that onix' defenses."

Firebrand looked up from her bowl of food and nodded.

"Maybe we can't open a large enough power gap fast enough… we'll be stuck here for years."

Firebrand nodded emphatically before resuming her meal.

The sound of a jackhammer caught Vander's attention. It had been going on and off for a while. It was from the construction site they had seen near the mountains.

Nurse Joy approached them with her usual smile. "I know it can get annoying, but the excavation should be over in a month." Then her smile seemed to get some smugness in it. "You are going to be extending your stay, right?"

"Sure," he replied, still paying more attention to the jackhammer. "Are they hiring? I could really use a job right now."

Nurse Joy almost gasped. Parents usually funded their kid's journey. "Why would you want a job, especially that? Shouldn't you look for ways to beat Flint?"

"I want to earn my own money."

Firebrand perked a little. She could sense an ulterior motive.

"I think that this job might give us the experience we need to beat Flint. Firebrand could learn moves that can harm rock types and that job might help us practicee those attacks."

She cupped her chin her eyes narrowing. "When you put it like that…still, mining can be dangerous. I'd suggest you just stick to breaking rocks or something. You can teach your charmander moves like Metal Claw and Iron Tail by practicing on rocks. There are plenty lying around near Mt Moon."

"Thanks," Vander replied. He headed straight for the construction site after Firebrand finished eating.

It was located near Mt. Moon, though away from routes most people took. There were several construction workers in hard hats working with drilling machines. Machoke moved stray pieces of rubble away and then broke the larger chunks with moves like Brick Break and Karate Chop.

Vander was most interested in the machoke. _That'll be our training_…_if we can get them to hire us._

One of the men, most likely the manager, noticed Vander approaching and intercepted him. "Sorry kid," he said with a gruff, yet kind tone. "This is a work site and we can't have random people hanging around here. It could get dangerous. You'll have to leave." He took note of the charmander next to him. "The fossil site should be accessible in about two months so you can come back then."

He looked the man in the eye and smiled. "Actually we'd like to have a job here. We need to train for our battle against the Gym Leader and we need some pocket money so I was hoping we could help those machoke over there."

The man looked over at the large machoke and then back to the Vander and his charmander. They looked like good battlers, but not very muscular. "I understand, but I don't think you two are…the kind of workers we need." He was surprised when the kid and his charmander smiled up at him.

"We can handle it. Please just give us a chance. We'll just help you move the rocks and break them, not any of the dangerous stuff." He looked over at the tunnel where the heavy equipment was being used. "Please, at least let us show you."

There was a brief pause. "Fine, I'll give you two a trial run, but I will not be responsible for any injuries you two get while overstraining yourselves understand?"

"Yes sir, and thank you."

Their work began after a few introductions. The men had a few spare hardhats for them to wear. A machoke would supervise their work. While they could move most of the chunks around they initially lacked the power to shatter them.

XXXOXXX

It had been a few weeks since their work began.

Firebrand brought her claw down on another piece of rock when it started to glow. Soon it was a bright metallic silver color. The blow shattered the rock into several small pieces on contact. It was more damage than she had managed before.

Vander immediately recognized the move. "You learned Metal Claw!"

The workers and their machoke turned to look at them. They soon started clapping.

"Alright, try it on another rock." It happened again, and again, which gave Vander another idea. "Now try it with your tail."

Firebrand leapt into the air above another rock. She went through the steps for Metal Claw and tried to apply them to her tail. It began to glow and as with Metal Claw, shattered the rock on contact.

_Yes! She can use Iron Tail too! _There was more clapping as Vander hugged Firebrand. "A little more practice and we'll be ready to challenge Flint again."

"I'll be looking forward to it." All eyes turned to see Flint approaching them with a smile. "When I heard you got a job here, I thought you were either crazy or stubborn, but it looks like your plan is working. Just so you know, a new move won't be enough. Onix and I will have a new trick waiting for you."

"We'll practice every day," Vander replied, making a mental note to research onix' potential moves.

The gym leader nodded before turning to talk with the manager. It was the last time Vander saw him before entering the Pewter Gym a few weeks later.

XXXOXXX

When Vander entered the Pewter Gym he passed another trainer who judging by the smile had won a badge. Flint was still standing at his end of the battlefield with Brock.

Flint smiled slightly when he saw Vander. "You're ready to challenge Onix." He motioned to Brock who resumed his position as the referee.

Moments later Onix appeared in a flash of white light. It stared down at Vander, growling in recognition.

Vander took a poké ball from his pants pocket and released Firebrand.

She flexed his arms before looking up at Onix with a smile. Though she didn't look very different, the larger base size of her flame and the occasional flecks of blue within it hinted at increased strength.

"This battle is between the gym leader's onix and the challenger's charmander." Brock raised his flags. He then waived them. "Begin!"

"Flamethrower."

The hot jet of fire was noticeably stronger and came out faster than before.

Onix stiffened up as the large stream of fire barreled towards him and flinched when it made contact.

_It's much stronger than before._ "Rock Polish."

Onix' body began to glow with a glossy white aura. Firebrand rushed towards him to land a Metal Claw, but Onix swayed aside moments before impact. He then dove underground.

Firebrand didn't look as intimidated as before.

The ground rumbled and Onix emerged beneath Firebrand's feet sooner than expected, sending the slightly surprised lizard into the air.

"Iron Tail."

Firebrand harnessed Dig's momentum with a front flip and brought her glowing tail down on Onix' head.

The blow sent the rock snake sprawling to the ground, but he recovered before Firebrand could follow-up with a Metal Claw.

"Earthquake."

As before, Onix rose up and repeatedly slammed his body into the ground.

Firebrand had trouble maintaining balance. The speed of Onix' attack even made Brock stumble a little.

_We have to stop that somehow._ Vander then noticed that every time Onix raised himself, a single rocky segment was all that held him up. _If we could just get the timing right…_

Firebrand had started to jump whenever she anticipated another tremor, but Onix speed made it hard to time them. She made one successful jump and began falling back down.

Onix was rearing up for another strike.

Vander's eyes went wide. "Use Iron Tail to topple Onix!"

Flint could only watch as the charmander dove towards Onix' lowest segment. It was a risky maneuver, but Onix was already set in its attack pattern.

Firebrand rolled with the momentum of her landing. Her tail began glowing a metallic color. Then she stood up and twisted her torso just as Onix tried to bring his body weight down.

Onix was knocked off balance.

Flint remained undaunted. "Use the momentum of the fall to burrow underground."

Onix dove head first into the ground, ruining any chance of a follow up.

"You have good eye kid, but Rock Polish made Onix faster."

Firebrand tried to counterattack with Iron Tail as Onix resurfaced.

Onix quickly blocked with his own Iron Tail before grabbing Firebrand by the tail and pulling her into a Bind.

"Flamethrower!"

Firebrand aimed for Onix' head.

He swayed aside before the jet of fire hit. The attack crashed into the ceiling. Onix knew what was coming and released her before burrowing underground.

Water from the gym's sprinkler system dowsed the field moments later. Though it only lasted about a minute, Firebrand was left soaked and noticeably fatigued.

Flint's face seemed to soften up. "We could stop now if you want. I'd rather not hurt your pokémon after that."

Firebrand shook her head and tried to raise her temperature. Her tail flame had shrunk significantly.

"Firebrand, do you want to stop now?" Vander already knew the answer.

Shaking her head the she eyed Flint while trying to sense when and where Onix would resurface.

Arching an eyebrow Flint sighed. "Fine, but I'll let you know that your pokémon has reached its evolutionary limit." He saw Firebrand tensing up, her expression turning fierce. _It's a wonder Blaze hasn't activated. I'm impressed._ "Onix!"

The ground began rumbling as Onix started coming to the surface.

"Use Flamethrower to launch yourself." Firebrand did so, but it came out noticeably slower than normal.

Onix came up just in time to receive a face-full of fire, but barely felt it due to the reduced power.

Firebrand didn't have time to block as Onix slammed into her. Then she was tumbling through the air.

Vander looked very concerned. Perhaps he shouldn't have let her continue.

Firebrand rolled with the impact and stood up. She was panting more than she wanted to. Onix was looming over her again, getting ready to lunge. Perhaps she had reached her limit as a charmander.

_Firebrand's not as fast as Onix. It's all about timing now._ He heard Flint say "Rock Throw" and saw Onix lunge towards Firebrand. His heart was racing. Then he looked at Firebrand, taking note of her tail. "Use Iron Tail to jump and then use Metal Claw!"

Firebrand's tail made a small trench as she launched up to meet Onix. However her entire body started glowing bright white. Newfound strength surged through her as she made contact. She delivered a cross-shaped slash with both claws. Onix collapsed behind as her growth spurt began.

The three humans watched, as Firebrand grew bigger. Soon she was about four feet tall and had the beginnings of a head crest. The glow faded to reveal that her skin was a darker shade of red.

"Charmeleon," said Vander hesitantly. _I guess there was no other choice._ She could have been a charmeleon earlier, but they had both agreed to postpone it until there was no other option for progress.

Firebrand's eyes locked on Onix. Her flame had grown back to full size, though it lacked any blue flecks.

Onix slowly reared back up and shook his head.

Flint frowned at the newly evolved Firebrand before looking over at his own pokémon. Then he smiled. "Earthquake."

Firebrand leapt into the air as Onix slammed its body into ground.

"Iron Tail."

Onix swung his tail towards the charmeleon as she came down from the jump.

Firebrand crossed her arms and block. They began glowing and turned metallic as Onix' tail made contact. She turned the block into a grab.

Onix winced as the metallic claws dug into his tail. After trying in vain to shake her off, he dove underground, taking Firebrand with him.

_Not good!_ Vander frowned as he watched the field.

The rock snake emerged moments later and sent Firebrand sprawling by slamming his tail onto the ground.

"Rock Throw."

Firebrand rolled over and stood just as Onix' body came crashing down. She knew that her strength was beginning to wane and she had no time to dodge. Taking a chance she raised her hands and slammed her tail into the ground for added support. A shockwave rippled through her body when Onix made contact.

Everyone paused.

"Throw it!"

She grinned and sent her larger opponent sailing across the battlefield. Then she blasted the downed onix with Flamethrower.

The rock snake howled in pain before collapsing, seemingly down for good.

"Onix!" Flint's called seemed to motivate him to rear back up, albeit with some difficulty. "Earthquake."

Vander was going to tell Firebrand to jump, but to his horror saw that her feet were stuck in the ground, no doubt due to the force of Rock Throw. Then he got another idea. "Fire Spin!"

Fire spewed from Firebrand's mouth, enveloping Onix in a tornado of flames upon contact.

Onix toppled over in pain. Then he dove underground to try and quench the flames.

Firebrand used Metal Claw to smash the ground around her feet. She freed them and then extricated her tail.

Onix emerged from the ground moments later and bit down on her tail.

Firebrand clenched her jaws tightly and began using Metal Claw.

Repeated blows to the head prompted Onix to let go.

Firebrand then spat out a Flamethrower and nailed Onix's head.

The rock snake towered over her for a few seconds before falling sideways with a thud.

"Onix is unable to battle." Brock raised one of his flags and pointing to Vander. "Charmeleon wins."

It took a minute for Vander to smile. He was beaming as he ran over to hug Firebrand.

She had collapsed from onto her back, careful to avoid the holes Onix had made.

"You were great!" He then realized how big she had gotten. Now she was up to his chest in height. As he gave her a chin scratch, Vander began to wonder how big she would be as a charizard.

She stopped purring and passed out, prompting him to return her to the poké ball.

Flint approached him and then revealed a badge, shaped like a rock. "This Boulder Badge now belongs to you." He gave Vander a genuine smile. "Good luck entering the Pokémon League."

Vander accepted the badge with a big grin and took a moment to appraise it before tucking it away in his pant's pocket. Then he thanked Flint and Brock before returning to the Pokémon Center.

XXXOXXX

Vander and Firebrand sat at one of the Pokémon Center's computers. It was only a day after their gym battle, but Vander wanted them to plan out their next move.

"We could cross Mt Moon and try for the Cascade Badge, but I think we should catch another team member." He turned to Firebrand. "What do you think?"

Firebrand shrugged. She liked both options. Water types would be another interesting challenge, but a new teammate meant a new friend.

"So before we start catching pokémon we should think about who we need. After we beat the Elite Four we'll be going after Him." His face darkened. "We'll need a team that can cover all environments. You'll have the air covered when you evolve."

Firebrand tried to examine her back. She had seen her mother fly, but the thought of doing it herself was baffling.

Vander continued. "We'll need someone who can fight underground, someone would can fight on the ground in tight or open spaces, and someone who can fight in the water. So a water type, and ground type should be good."

Firebrand stopped examining her back and grabbed Vander's sleeve. Soon she was leading him out of the Center. Then she pointed at the Pewter Gym.

"Why are you-" Then his eyes widened. "An onix. You think we should get an onix, like Flint's?" He received an enthusiastic nod.

They returned to the computer and Vander began researching onix.

He was more impressed with the rock snake's evolution. "A steelix. That would be really helpful. It can fight underground and is really resistant to rock, your biggest weakness and has really good defense. Good job Firebrand."

She smiled proudly.

Then he began looking up where onix lived and came across an article about giants. "Wow! They're so big, even compared to normal onix!" If the pictures he had pulled up were correct, the giant onix would be around three times the average size. "They live on Mt Miyazaki. We'll have to head closer to Pallet Town to get there."

Firebrand looked eager.

"So we'll go back through the Viridian Forest and find the biggest strongest onix on Mt Miyazaki. Is that okay?" He turned to Firebrand and she nodded.

They left the Pewter City the next day.


	3. Terror Mountain: An Odd Atmosphere

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon or have any rights to it.

Note: Mt Miyazaki is called Mt Hideaway in the english dub. I just liked the japanese name better. Also, the episode 'To Master the Onixpected' will give an idea how big the onix are.

* * *

After a few days' walk through the Viridian Forest, Vander and Firebrand hugged the mountain range that bisected the eastern and western halves of Kanto. They had paid Molly a brief visit, but kept their plan a secret. Both knew she wouldn't let them try to battle a giant onix.

The rocky mountainside path was dotted with shrubs. Firebrand had little trouble defeating the numerous geodude and occasional onix that challenged them. Most trainers they faced were also easy.

Many used water types, but Vander's toughest challenge came from a diglett trainer a few years older than him.

Diglett kept retreating underground to avoid attacks and launch counterattacks.

Firebrand did the opposite, leaping high into the air to evade any attempted Dig or Slash. However none of her Flamethrowers hit their mark.

The stalemate had lasted a full twenty minutes before Firebrand had an idea. She leapt into the air upon feeling the telltale rumbling and twisted her body. Her Iron Tail wacked Diglett in the head and she then trapped it with Fire Spin.

The opponent remained undaunted. "Retreat underground and extinguish the flames with Sand Attack!"

Firebrand soon lost sight of Diglett, but then the tunnels lit up with a bright light.

The opponent smiled.

"He's evolved Firebrand!"

She understood and nodded.

However that was a crucial mistake. Dugtrio exploited her brief distraction.

Firebrand's response came too late.

Dugtrio emerged beneath Firebrand and the blow sent her upwards. It then quickly followed through with a Slash.

Firebrand clutched her pained belly as the momentum carried her several feet away. She landed in one of the holes that peppered the battlefield.

"Get out of there with Flamethrower!"

However the fatigue and damage slowed her response. Her flame turned bright yellow upon hearing the next command.

"Finish it off with Earthquake! Hurry!"

Dugtrio's body began to vibrate, generating shockwaves that shook the entire battlefield. Soon it was over.

Vander recalled Firebrand and then saw his opponent approaching. The boy was clearly a veteran, from his well-seasoned gear to his well-developed figure.

"You did well, in fact I think that was the most drawn out battle my Diglett's had against a fire type. No wonder he evolved." He extended his hand, which Vander shook immediately. "Your charmeleon's strong, but I think you should consider letting it evolve into charizard soon."

His words remained on Vander's mind the next day. They were having lunch in the shade of one of the few small trees that grew in the scrubland when he brought it up. "What do you think about evolving?"

Firebrand looked up from her meal.

"You'll be able to fly and use Earthquake. That could've helped you beat Dugtrio." He finished his last berry. "What do you think? Are you ready to evolve yet?"

She ripped off and swallowed another chunk of meat and then shrugged. Her tail began tracing the spot on her back where her wings would eventually be.

Vander smiled and reached out to scratch her chin. "I guess it depends on what we find at Miyazaki." He pulled out a notepad and flipped to a page with notes on the mountain. "The onix are bigger, stronger and have tougher defense, but they still fight like regular onix."

She could handle an onix. Yet the memory of the pictures she had seen made flying sound more appealing.

"Evolving will make you more vulnerable to rock type attacks. Even a Rock Throw from one of them could knock you out."

Firebrand was back to being impartial. She just resumed her meal.

Vander understood and got up. "We can talk about this later." He began cleaning up their campsite. "Let's get a look at those onix first."

She nodded as her head leaned back and she swallowed the last chunk of meat.

XXXOXXX

They made steady progress even as the wilderness grew thicker. There were more large bushes between the trees as they left the more heavily traveled routes. The pair eventually reached a ridge over which they could see the peak of Mt. Miyazaki. It was notably larger than others nearby.

Perhaps they could see Pallet Town from the summit, Firebrand thought. It would be funny if they caught sight of her parents doing their morning flight.

"It's probably less than a day's walk from here. I think we should camp there," Vander pointed towards the base of the mountain. "Let's get a full night's sleep before we go up."

Firebrand nodded.

Night had crept across the sky when they made camp. Firebrand remained at near their campfire to watch over everything while Vander foraged for berries.

The boy was alert when he returned, arms laden with many berries. "It was too easy," he said, dropping them in their empty cooking pot. "There are too many berries in these trees. It's like the pokémon aren't eating any at all." Peeling a small chunk off one, he pressed it to his tongue, paused, and then swallowed it. "It's not poisoned."

Firebrand stopped eating and began glancing around. The flame on her tail grew slightly and the tongues flicked more violently. Her eyes and ears were as sharp as ever and she would snap in the direction of any sound. She gave up after a few minutes. Perhaps there were no pokémon to be found.

Vander had also been glancing around. "That's weird." He gave up after one last look around before grabbing a berry. "We saw plenty just a mile ago. Could the onix have scared them off?"

Firebrand stood up and began inspecting the perimeter of the campsite. They were in a small clearing between two trees and two bushes. She had used her claws to make a small entrance through one of the shrubs. Poking her head out through it revealed nothing.

"It couldn't be the onix."

She looked back at her trainer and raised an eyebrow ridge.

Vander was looking at his notes. "The onix are supposed to be kind and friendly if you don't bother them." He extracted a pen from its slot in the notebook's spine and began writing.

Firebrand lay on her belly, her head facing the entrance. She remained this way as her trainer finished his notes and began clearing up. After a few minutes she felt the fire die down. The tongues of her flame began to settle.

"You should get some sleep too," Vander said as he smothered any stray embers. "If something comes while we're sleeping, it'll probably wake you up anyway." He lay down, his feet barely missing the trunk of one of the trees. "I mean it," he said a little more forcefully when he saw Firebrand's head still up.

She sighed and flattened out completely, uncurling her tail so her flame was where their fire had been. Taking deep breathes brought her tail flame down, satisfying her trainer. However she would remain awake for a few hours longer, wondering why they were apparently alone.

Vander figured this out when he awoke and saw that she was still sleeping. He decided not to wake her until after gathering some berries for their trip. They were stored in their mostly unused cooking pot and he packed twice usual load to make up for the smaller sizes.

Firebrand felt groggy when Vander woke her, but was still able to walk with him soon enough. Silence prevailed during their hike up the mountain, but the sun made Firebrand less worried. At least now she could clearly see any potential attacker.

"Look." They both stopped as Vander pointed out a pidgey perched on one of the tree branches.

The bird was preening itself. Its head darted in the direction of Vander's voice.

The bird looked almost relieved when it saw them, so Vander tried to approach it. "Hey little guy."

It took no chances, bolting into the air the moment it saw his movement.

Vander crossed his arms and frowned as he watched the bird flying away. "Wonder what's wrong?" Then he noticed Firebrand glancing around. "See anything?"

She turned to him and shook her head.

They had similar luck with two other pokémon they saw on their way up. Soon the pair reached a stream. Vander immediately noticed a set of familiar grayish boulders behind some low-lying shrubs on the other side. After leaping across they crept around the bushes and froze at the sight of a massive onix head.

"It must be at least two or three times as big as a normal onix."

They were fixated on its head, which, minus the crest, was around Vander's height. Then they realized that it wasn't moving, but its eyes were open.

"It's not sleeping." Vander slowly approached the head and began knocking on it. There was no response. He began investigating the other segments and gasped when he reached the middle one. "It's…broken...how?"

Firebrand's flame began turning more yellow. This looked impossible to her. Jeb couldn't do it. Though her parents probably could, it would be still difficult for them.

"Something killed it." Vander began writing his observations in his notebook. "It was a punch or some other strong attack, Hyper Beam maybe? Shattered it in one blow." What went unspoken was the flesh, a few inches beneath the rocky hide and the dark bloody patch surrounding the injury.

Firebrand hissed and pointed to a trench in a mass of flesh. Something had scooped it out. She then saw him drift downwards to the patch of soil-colored blood.

"With this much blood we should find footprints." Vander soon found the bloody track way. "Should we follow it?" He turned to Firebrand and took note of her more yellow flame. _I'm scared too, _but he still wanted to know.

Firebrand glanced at the footprints and her flame became more normal when she saw how dry they were. The killer had done this a while ago and moved on.

They resumed walking. Both silent and nervously listening for any indication they were being stalked. The dried bloody footprints eventually faded into the earth.

"I guess that's it." Vander circled back to examine the tracks. "They look like Jeb's but a bit bigger." He saw Firebrand sniffing at them.

She looked up at him and shook her head. The scent had faded.

Vander took a deep breath. "Alright…Let's try to find onix." He put his ear to the ground and closed his eyes. A frown slowly appeared on him. "Nothing," he said after a few minutes as he got up. "How about you?"

Firebrand flattened her body against the ground. She got up after a minute and shook her head. No onix moving in the area.

Vander let out a deep, exasperated sigh. "Guess we'll save that Great Ball for something else." Then he paused as if remembering something. "We still have a lot of mountain left to search. Maybe we can also recruit whatever killed that onix to help us."

Firebrand's flame grew slightly, the tongues whipping around vigorously. Its color was now bright yellow.

"Firebrand?" He walked up to her and began scratching her chin. "I won't make you fight it if you don't feel up to it." He waited until he saw her flame return to its normal yellow with red tongues. "Let's focus on finding an onix. We'll go on from there."

The ground began rumbling.

Firebrand tensed as her flame swelled to double size.

The rumbling got closer and more intense. Then there was a pause.

They covered their faces when the ground in front of them exploded moments later.

A tower of rocks rose up accompanied by a deep growl. "Iwark!"

"Ready Firebrand?" Vander was now shaking a little. Their opponent was huge.

Onix lowered its head and began growling.

Vander glanced at Firebrand and saw her slowly relax. Looking back at Onix, he noticed it growling, but not attacking. _Is it talking?_ Firebrand definitely looked like she was listening.

The conversation lasted a few minutes with Onix letting out low growls, and glancing around periodically as if keeping watch.

Firebrand would ask a few questions, but mostly remained silent.

The conversation ended with onix tunneling into the ground and Firebrand beckoning Vander to follow before she jumped in.

Soon they were both down the hole. The tunnel's width was a testament to its creator's size. Vander saw a few side tunnels, but Firebrand seemed to ignore them. They continued on a straight path with her leading the way and eventually came upon an expansive cavern.

There were lights strung up on the walls, between the entrances. Vander soon spotted what looked like a camp. It consisted of a tent with a log bench and an area covered in ash where there was likely a fire.

A man with a graying hairline, most likely in his fifties, emerged from the tent and waved to the pair. "Hello," he said in a friendly tone. "We don't get guests down here. How are you two?"

"We're fine," Vander replied. _They don't get guests? I've seen horror movies start out like that._ "Is there something wrong with camping up there?" He pointed to the ceiling.

The man raised an eyebrow. "Didn't you notice something strange going on up there? It's a dangerous place."

"Why?" Then he remembered the corpse. "Is something killing the onix?"

The man nodded. "A monster. At least that's how that onix you met describes it. My wife and I never saw it." He sat down on the bench and invited Vander to take a seat next to him.

As her trainer sat down, Firebrand began looking around the cavern, but glanced back at regular intervals to make sure Vander was okay. She made sure to stay within earshot of the conversation.

"My name is Earl," the man said. "My wife, Marsha, and I came here to study the giant onix. After a few years we became friends with the onix you just met."

"How do you know the one we met is the one you're talking about?"

"It's the only one left. The others are dead or left the mountain." Earl took a deep breath. "It came a few months ago and started killing everything. Onix sensed what was coming and brought us down here before anything got to us. Over time, we kept seeing fewer and fewer onix. Now our friend is the only one left and he only goes to the surface to gather food for us. You're lucky he found you." He took another deep breath. "So what's your name?"

"I'm Vander," he then pointed to Firebrand. "She's Firebrand."

Earl nodded smiling and waving at her. Then his expression darkened as he turned back to Vander. "Have any more pokémon? I assume you came here for a giant onix."

Vander shook his head. "She's my only pokémon." He sensed a reprimand coming. "We weren't going to fight an onix if she didn't think she could handle it. We just wanted to get the best one we could." He showed Earl his Boulder Badge.

The man nodded. "Fair enough, but I strongly suggest you leave as soon as possible. Onix can take you back when he returns."

"Why don't you come with us? If it's so dangerous, shouldn't we all go?"

Earl shook his head. "My wife and I discovered a large clutch of eggs in one of the underground chambers. There are too many for us to carry and they are too fragile for Onix to take them. We're not going to leave until they hatch or we die. Onix agreed to take care of us."

"Are they onix eggs?"

Earl shook his head. "We don't know what laid them and they look different from any egg we've seen."

Firebrand noticed a glow coming from one of the passage. She pointed it out.

Earl smiled and stood up. "Ah, it's Marsha. She was out checking on the eggs."

Vander got up and then he and Firebrand followed Earl to where the glow was coming from.

Marsha, a woman about Earl's age with the same graying hairline met them at the entrance. "Oh we have guests?"

Vander introduced himself and Firebrand and then they returned to the campsite. Onix joined them several minutes later.

As they ate lunch Vander kept glancing around the cavern, and then at Onix who was lying still. "So what did the onix use this chamber for?"

"The onix here have built a network of tunnels and large chambers," Earl said. "I knew they were social, but only discovered the full truth when we befriended him." Earl gestured towards the coiled rock snake.

Onix mustered up a smile.

"The tunnels change from time to time as the onix feed on the soil, but the chambers generally stay the same. The onix used to sleep or socialize in them."

"There are even bigger spaces as well," Marsha said. "The mountain is really big, but the onix live and move in three dimensions, not just across the surface." She smiled wistfully. "Family units would live in these spaces and there was a much larger space deeper inside where they would get together and celebrate their holidays."

Onix turned away from them as his eyes began watering.

Earl got up and walked over to the rock snake and began rubbing his head. "I miss them too," he whispered.

Vander watched them for a moment before turning back to Marsha. "What kind of holidays did they celebrate?"

"As far as we know they gathered during the summer and winter solstice." She sighed. "If only that creature hadn't shown up. We might have seen one of those celebrations and Onix would still be happy."

Firebrand had been listening to Marsha's story while she watched Onix. He definitely had a cloud of sadness hanging over him. He'd kept his distance from them and always seemed to be thinking about stuff. Her trainer had been that way for a while after the incident in Pallet Town.

"Did Onix live here with his family?"

Marsha nodded. "Onix has all the passages memorized," Marsha told them. "He has an excellent memory. Soon after the creature came he brought us here."

"Why didn't the onix all stay down here?"

"The soil they prefer is usually up top here," Earl replied. "Most decided to move out. Many challenged it and failed while some were just unlucky. Onix knows better though."

Vander nodded before asking his most important question. "Do you know what the creature killing everything looks like?"

"We haven't seen it," Earl replied as he rejoined them. "Onix carved some drawings for us when we asked him about it."

On cue, Onix raised his last three tail segments and began carving an image into the ground. When finished it looked like a stick figure, but with four arms instead of two.

XXXOXXX

The bulky four-armed figure crept through the forest under the glare of the afternoon sun. It had nothing to fear from the few inhabitants left on the mountain, but what prey remained could fly away. Soon it spotted a target.

A small flock of pidgey perched in one of the trees. They looked familiar and it soon remembered that it had killed their pidgeotto parents. The largest, oldest one was preening while the others fed on the now copious amounts of berries. Reduced size made them less nutritious yet easier to swallow.

It grinned and moved behind another tree, out of their line of sight. Then its eyes began to glow. Small stones began rising from the soil, though it slowed the process down to avoid noise. A ring of floating stones was circling the figure a few minutes later. Its heart raced with excitement as it raised a finger and pointed to the oblivious flock.

The stones shot out in a straight line towards the trees. Sounds made when they pushed through the brush were the only warning the birds got.

Several fell to the ground, and a few managed to fly away. The largest managed to dodge the attack and soon spotted the cause. With a significant number of his flock on the ground he decided to challenge it. Memories of his parents and their death remained burned into him.

It grinned as the much smaller opponent dove towards it, beak glowing. While technically super effective, a Peck would do little damage. A forearm was all it required for defense and a slap from one of the other three sent the bird sprawling on the ground.

Wing flaps signaled the flight of the flock. The big one called to them, telling them to leave him behind.

It grabbed the pidgey by the neck, ignoring the others.

The bird's wriggling had little effect. He then landed several Pecks in rapid succession, but it was still in vain. The attacks continued, and soon the glow enveloping his beak spread across his body.

This was what it had been waiting for, and it grinned. It waited, maintaining a minimal grip, until the Pidgey had finished growing. Then its grip tightened rapidly.

Crack!

The newly evolved pidgeotto went limp.

The plucking began. Then it smiled.

The elusive last onix had surface a distance away. He had not noticed it and was soon back underground.

It placed its ear to the ground and grinned broadly upon hearing the rumbling. Throwing the partially plucked pideotto to the ground, it moved in the direction of the rumbling.

XXXOXXX

The three humans and Firebrand looked over the figure Onix had carved into the ground.

"There's only one pokémon that looks like that-"

Something slammed into the ground above them, cutting Vander off. Successive hits began shaking the cavern and created a small shower of soil from the ceiling.

Firebrand was thrown off balance and her flame was bright yellow and double normal size. She remembered this situation.

Vander also recognized it. "Something is using Earthquake!"

"It's here!" Earl quickly grabbed a lantern. "We have to check on the eggs!" He stumbled down the tunnel Marsha had come from earlier.

The shaking stopped moments later and Marsha turned to Onix with wide eyes. "Can you lead us out of here?"

Onix nodded and patiently waited as they gathered their belongings.

Vander put on his backpack before helping Marsha pack hers and Earl's. Like Vander, the coupled only had a few pairs of clothes, which he and Marsha stuffed into the larger pouches. The most precious thing after those and the toiletries were their notes.

Once the bags were packed Firebrand donned Earl's backpack and they followed Onix through on of the other tunnels.

Firebrand felt claustrophobic in the tunnels as Onix took up most of the space in front of them. Without him they would all be trapped underground. Her flame and Marsha's lantern were their only light sources.

Vander felt just as uneasy. _I really need to get a flashlight._ He made a mental note to do so once they left the mountain.

The shaking started up again. It was directly above them.

Onix halted and flinched as the entire passage shook. The three behind him were thrown off balance.

Marsha was panting and her heart raced as she willed herself to stand. It was a futile effort while the shaking persisted. "How does it know?"

"Must be tracking Onix," Vander exclaimed. "If you put your head to the ground you can track their movements."

_It knows how to do that?_ "That's…that actually makes sense." She gave up trying to stand and looked to the rock snake in front of her. Onix couldn't turn around, but she could tell he was thinking. "Onix? What are you planning?"

The rock snake let out a low growl, mainly meant for Firebrand. Then he dug into the tunnel's right wall and slithered down the newly created passage.

"He's leading it away!" Marsha felt her eyes watering. _It probably tracked the other onix this way. Found each of them underground and flushed them with Earthquake._

The shaking stopped after another minute and the three were able to stand.

Firebrand got to her feet first and beckoned the humans to follow. She began leading them down a side tunnel that would take them to Earl and the egg chamber. Then they would all escape together.

XXXOXXX

It pressed its ear to the ground. Off course the Earthquake had not been enough. This one was among the sturdier ones. After a few minutes it got a general sense of where the rumbling was headed.

Trees and bushes gave way as it barreled across the mountain. Its four arms came in handy, protecting its face from the foliage. The last onix was on the move. It refused to let it escape.

Bird pokémon scattered as the beast approached and then passed them. They were relieved to see it was after something else. The more curious among them flew a safe distance behind and saw it periodically stopping to place its ear to the ground before resuming its run.

The onix had been moving faster than before. It was perplexed at its inability to catch up. Placing an ear to the ground for the seventh time, it listened and heard the rumbling.

Onix was no longer moving horizontally. He was burrowing deeper into the ground. In fact he was now so deep that even Earthquake might not have been able to flush him out.

It wanted to fist the ground in frustration until something clicked. Onix had picked up the pace and changed direction. After leading it for miles down the mountainside it dove deeper to escape. All four of its fists clenched tightly as it let out a mighty yell. Turning back it began retracing steps to where it had first used Earthquake.

The ground was still distorted from the impact its attack had made.

Fists began glowing bright red and it was soon pounding the ground with all four. It struck the same spot in rapid succession. The hole grew deeper and wider with each strike.

XXXOXXX

It took roughly twenty minutes for them to navigate the passages to where they found Earl.

He was in a chamber large enough for only one giant onix. It had a large pit at its center in which there were at least fifty eggs. In the light of his lantern they looked black with purple patches.

He looked surprised to see them. "What happened? Where's Onix?"

Marsha answered him. "He decided to lead it away from us. It had been tracking his movements underground."

Earl put an arm around his wife. "It was bound to happen sometime I guess. He was always the smart one, so I'm sure he'd figure something out."

Vander looked over the clutch and Firebrand seemed equally fascinated. "They don't look like any eggs I've seen." He'd seen quite a few, including Firebrand's when visiting Pallet Town with his father.

"They might not even be native to Eastern or Western Kanto," Earl said as he and Marsha broke apart. "He knelt beside Vander and rubbed one of the shells. "They feel warm, but I think they might take a long time to hatch under these conditions." He picked one up and handed it to Vander. "Here."

Vander took it. He needed both hands to hold it. "Are you sure?" Looking back to Earl and Marsha he saw them smiling.

"I think it will most likely hatch if you take it," Earl said before gesturing towards the nest. "There are so many eggs there that even if this is the wrong choice its still worth the risk. The others will remain down here, no better or worse than they had been."

Firebrand gave Earl's backpack to him and joined Vander in inspecting the egg.

Boom!

All heads turned in the general direction of the sound.

Earl and Marsha paled. "It's down here," they both exclaimed.

They were soon running with Firebrand leading based on Onix's instructions.

Earl and Marsha's lanterns provided ample light, and Vander was grateful. Carrying the egg took both arms. He also couldn't run at full speed for fear of tripping and breaking it, though he still kept pace with the two adults.

They heard footsteps. Something else had joined them and was now running through the passages. However it stopped often and the sound grew quieter and louder. It may or may not have been gaining on them, it was clearly not sure of its destination.

Both Earl and Marsha were starting to pant. While in shape for their age they were clearly not used to sustained jogging.

Vander was also breathing more heavily and his heart was racing. Luckily the cool underground temperatures kept sweating to a minimum.

The pattering of feet seemed to getting louder. It was getting closer, and this time there was a steady increase in sound.

Everyone's hearts began thumping, and not just from the effort.

Firebrand felt the pressure mounting. The others were following her. Onix had trusted her. Now the creature was gaining on them. She kept her eyes pealed for the landmarks Onix had told her to look out for. Light from her swollen flame made seeing a non-issue.

The patter of footsteps behind them got even louder.

Her eyes caught sight of one of the landmarks and she turned right. She had felt the slope of the ground for some time. According to Onix this would lead them to a thinner layer of soil that she could blast through.

"It's a dead end!" However Vander calmed a little when he saw Firebrand. _She knows what she's doing._

Firebrand clenched her fists, blocking out the pattering. Her tail flame swelled to triple normal size and she expelled a Flamethrower. It created a molten circle in the soil. Then she delivered two Metal Claws to the spot before it cooled.

The soil gave way and soon there was a passage large enough for them to walk through. Upon exiting they found themselves near a cliff that overlooked a sloping wasteland.

"We're closer to the boundary between western and eastern Kanto," Earl said. "The base of the mountain is still a few hundred feet down."

Vander looked back and heard the pattering. _It's still getting closer._ "We should get going now!"

Thus began a scramble along the side of the cliff. There were few trees here to hide them, and they could find no way down the mountain.

"Hold on." Earl stopped. "Give me a minute."

Firebrand stood guard as the two rested. She was not exhausted yet, but her trainer was showing some signs of fatigue. Suddenly she tensed up. Her flame became even more violent.

A figure leapt from where the entrance to the underground. Its momentum carried it over them to land several feet away.

Their escape route was blocked.

Vander clutched his egg tightly as he stared into the face of his new enemy. "Machamp!" It towered over all of them, and he took special note of its lack of a belt. A chill ran through him as he thought of what could follow and he stepped back, egg in hand.

Machamp grinned. Though the onix had given it the slip, there were four new victims that couldn't escape. It flexed all four arms as the charmeleon among them stepped forward with a challenge. This would be fun.


	4. Terror Mountain: The Terror Revealed

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon or have any rights to it.

* * *

Machamp looked like a child who had found a candy store.

Vander froze as it began advancing on them. _Move._ His heart raced, as it got closer. _Move!_ Suddenly it wasn't a machamp to him, but a tall man with long blond hair and crimson eyes like his. He clutched the egg tightly.

Machamp gave him a toothy grin. It raised its lower right arm, ready to slap the egg out of his hand. Then it perked up before leaping back to evade a Flamethrower.

Firebrand put herself between Machamp and Vander. Her flame was now bluish white and several times normal size. She opened her mouth and released another powerful burst of fire.

Machamp jumped over the attack.

Vander snapped out of whatever daze he had been in. "Get off the ground before it lands!"

She wasted no time launching into the air just as Machamp landed.

The ground shook upon impact.

The three humans fell to their knees, though Vander maintained hold of the egg.

Firebrand opened her mouth and spewed out a Fire Spin.

Machamp raised its upper arms to block. Fire Spin enveloped it in a vortex of flames upon contact.

Firebrand landed and beckoned the three humans to run.

Earl and Marsha, having recovered some energy followed Vander past Machamp. They could only managed a somewhat fast jog.

Firebrand followed them at a distance. She turned back to check on Machamp every few seconds.

It stood there, eyes closed and lower arms crossed. A smile adorned machamp's face as it listened to its quarry getting farther away at a ponderous pace. It knew that this side of the mountain had no easy way down, not for miles.

Firebrand turned once more, just in time to see Machamp suddenly throw out its arms and expel the flaming vortex. She tensed as it ran after them. Looking back, she saw the humans pulling farther ahead and smiled before turning back to her opponent.

It was much closer now.

She opened her mouth.

Machamp leapt over her. Its jump, powered by huge muscles, carried it over the humans. It landed several feet in front of them.

The resulting Earthquake threw the humans onto their backs. Even Firebrand flinched.

Vander was thrown back with such force that he accidentally let go of the egg. He cried out as it rolled toward the edge of the cliff. "The egg!" Scrambling to his feet he attempted to run and catch it.

Machamp saw the egg rolling and went for it immediately. It scooped the egg up into its lower arms. A moments delay and it would have rolled off the cliff. Then it turned to Vander, who froze.

They were mere feet apart, but Vander was more focused on the egg. Was it safe in Machamp's arms? _It…It can't be that bad, _he rationalized. "Please Machamp." He reached out, his heart racing. "It needs me."

Firebrand's flame remained large and vigorous. Her muscles were tense and ready to spring as she watched Machamp approach her trainer. She knew intervening could ruin the situation.

Machamp stared at Vander, looking him in the eyes, and then looking at his outstretched hands. It smiled and slowly lowered the edd.

Vander remained frozen as Machamp placed the egg in his hands. He had to remind himself to grip it. "Thank yo-"

Machamp brought its upper arms down in a double-fisted smash.

The egg crumbled under the powerful blow, sending chunks of yolk, shell and embryo onto Vander.

He paused. His face and clothes were now wet with yolk. The embryo and large chunks of shell slowly slid down his shirt and fell to the ground. His fingers were also wet and he flexed them to make sure the egg was really gone. Slowly his eyes traveled up from the empty space between his hands to Machamp's face.

Machamp gave Vander a toothy grin. It savored all of the little emotions that appeared on the boy's face. After about a minute it ended as Vander clenched his fists.

It had finally sunk in.

Firebrand leapt over her trainer, claws glowing bright and metallic.

Machamp backed away a few feet before raising its upper arms to block the Metal Claws.

Firebrand twisted her torso. Her glowing tail swung towards Machamp.

It grabbed the tail with an upper arm and threw the fire lizard to the ground.

Blocking out the pain, Firebrand flicked her tail and sent Embers towards Machamp.

It blocked with a lower forearm and then rammed a glowing red fist towards her.

She rolled aside as the fist cracked the ground where she had been. Now on her back, she fired a Flamethrower.

Machamp blocked it, but she had time to roll onto her feet. It then crossed its arms to block the incoming Ember.

Firebrand turned around and spewed out another Flamethrower. She leapt at Machamp when it blocked the attack. Her claws and tail glowed and turned metallic.

It caught Firebrand's left Metal Claw with its lower right hand.

Firebrand twisted her torso to try and land an Iron Tail, but Machamp also caught it with its upper left hand. She struggled to break free.

Machamp grinned as she pounded his lower right hand with Metal Claw from her free hand.

Firebrand's flame remained large, but its color turned bright yellow when she met Machamp's eyes and saw its grin.

"No!" Vander picked up a rock and hit Machamp's thigh. He received a smug grin in return.

A mighty leap brought Machamp and its captive over thirty feet in the air. It did three somersaults, maintaining an ironclad grip on its struggling target.

Earl and Marsha looked away, but Vander's gaze remained fixed as Machamp brought Firebrand down and slammed her into the ground.

Firebrand was lying in a small crater. Every muscle in her body was aching, begging her not to stand. Her flame was smaller than normal and back to its usual color.

"Call her back!" Earl held his wife tightly, his eyes wide and heart racing. "Call her back kid!"

Vander nodded and extracted Firebrand's poké ball from her pants pocket. Then something stopped him.

At first Firebrand had looked and felt dizzy as she stood. Then a familiar rush coursed through her, and the pain meant a lot less.

Machamp stood back patiently as its opponent began glowing red. Its eyes traveled to her tail flame that was back to being bluish white, but now several times any size it had seen.

"Blaze," Vander whispered.

Firebrand's eyes locked onto Machamp.

It grinned and pointed to its chest.

She clenched her fists. An inferno began brewing inside her gut and it made the tongues of her tail flame whip around vigorously.

Machamp clapped, egging her on.

"Char!" She opened her mouth and felt as if floodgates had been opened. The excess heat flowed from her belly and out her mouth.

Machamp's eyes widened and it quickly crossed both lower and upper arms to protect its face and torso.

The conical Flamethrower hit Machamp and was as wide as Vander was tall at point of impact. It lasted five minutes. During that time it pushed Machamp back several feet.

Machamp's forearms sizzled, yet aside from some burn marks it looked mostly unscathed.

Firebrand's Blaze had worn off. She was panting and her muscle aches were catching up.

Machamp felt the pain. It examined the burn marks and then looked back at Firebrand. A grin returned to its face when it saw her and it began walking towards her. The pace was deliberately slow.

Firebrand tensed up and was ready to spring, ignoring her aching muscles. The next moment her muscles were like jelly and she fell belly-down to the ground. All she could do was watch.

_No!_ Vander quickly recalled her to the poké ball.

Machamp blinked and then turned to the source of the red beam. It gave the boy a toothy grin. He was a trainer, maybe he would send more out.

_We're completely defenseless!_ Earl glanced around, still holding Marsha to him. _Where's Onix?_

Machamp looked over the group. There were two adults and one child, a family perhaps. Licking its lips, Machamp picked the first target.

Vander barely had time to react as Machamp ran towards him. He brought his arms up to cover his face.

Machamp slapped him aside on his way to the older couple.

Vander got up just as Machamp was beating Earl and Marsha. He looked around for any sign of Onix, but it was in vain.

Earl tried his best to shield Marsha, but Machamp picked him up by the shirt and pried him off her. He was thrown aside. When he looked up he saw Machamp pummeling his wife with three fists and holding her down with its remaining hand.

Vander was about to make his move, but jumped as he heard Earl yell. It was louder than any sound he had heard from the man before.

Earl rushed Machamp.

It didn't even look as its upper right arm struck Earl's face.

Vander's eyes were wide when he saw Earl's body go limp and fall to the ground. Marsha wasn't moving either. _It'll catch me if I run._

Machamp stood and smiled when he heard the boy running towards it. Whirling around, it stopped the incoming right hook with its lower left arm. It further restrained him by snatching his left wrist in its lower right hand.

As it lifted him off the ground, Vander's first instinct was to kick. He brought both legs forward and his feet connected with Machamp's gut. It was ineffective.

Machamp pointed to itself with one of its free hands.

He obliged it by kicking several times. All were ineffective.

Machamp dropped him and then pointed to the backpack lying several feet away.

_At least he hasn't looked for Firebrand's poké ball._ He then noticed Machamp stepping away and it kept pointing at his backpack. "Do you want me to get it?"

Machamp nodded and grinned when the boy stood up and tried to. One swift poke had him back on the ground.

_Why?_ Vander tried to push himself up several times. Each time Machamp allowed him some progress before knocking him back down with a mild blow to the back._ What does it want?_

Machamp stepped back as the boy tried to stand. Then it beckoned him to come at it with outstretched arms.

_Its over now._ He was now in a full-blown adrenaline rush. _It'll catch me if I run and beat me if I fight. Why?_ "Why haven't you killed me?"

It just kept taunting him, telling him to attack it. Arms were stretched wide, exposing its chest, guts, and groin.

Vander began hyperventilating and sounded almost on the verge of crying. A moment later he screamed and ran at Machamp.

Machamp's finger found the boy's forehead.

A swift push had him on his back. Vander scrambled back to his feet and tried to kick Machamp's groin.

It caught Vander's knee, lifted him up, and then let go.

Vander rolled onto his belly almost immediately after landing. He tried to push up and stand, but a pressure on his back made it impossible.

Machamp began laughing. Its middle and index fingers pressed down on Vander's back.

Vander kept hyperventilating as he frantically tried to squirm free. Suddenly he wasn't on Mt Miyazaki, but in the woods near Pallet Town. Instead of fingers there was a large vine on his back.

Machamp let go and chuckled as the boy scrambled away on all fours. It then grabbed Vander's heel.

"No! Let go!" Vander began kicking Machamp with his free leg. Tears streamed down his cheeks as he cried out.

Machamp laughed harder and let go.

Vander scrambled away.

Machamp leapt over the boy and grabbed him by the head.

Vander clawed at the hands clamped over his head. Machamp held him out too far, his kicks wouldn't reach.

It brought a free hand to the struggling boy's forehead and flicked.

Vander's body went limp.

XXXOXXX

Onix tunneled upwards and into the cavern he had lived in. He gaped at the large hole in the ceiling.

A quick look showed the chamber was empty. The lights were still in place, while the tents had been torn apart.

He guessed it had been Machamp's doing. Judging by the lack of bodies, the humans and Firebrand had left ahead of it. Onix sped down one of the tunnels and soon arrived at the egg chamber.

The space was still intact.

Onix recalled the directions he had given Firebrand and calculated were they would end up on the mountain. Soon he was off, plowing through the ground and ignoring the preexisting tunnel system in favor of a direct course.

XXXOXXX

Vander's entire body ached. He lifted his head and saw Earl and Marsha's bodies. His eyes widened and adrenalin coursed through him when he realized they were missing limbs.

Machamp sat a short distance behind them. It was riffling through Vander's backpack, eating all the food and throwing everything else.

Vander flexed his fingers and then began twitching different body parts. Grogginess prevailed yet faded slightly with each twitch. _Machamp hasn't seen me yet._ He glanced around discreetly. _Running is impossible._ His body was still sore and lifting his head a few inches triggered mild dizziness.

Machamp threw the now empty backpack aside. Then it picked up a naked leg it had ripped off and began eating it like it was cotton candy.

He felt and heard a rumbling underground.

Machamp remained engrossed in its meal.

Vander took stock of his supplies. He felt a survival knife on his belt and Firebrand's poké ball in his pocket. There was also a first aid kit strapped to his belt. _She's probably too beat up right now. How long have I been out?_

The sun had passed the top of its arc and was starting to dip below the horizon.

The rumbling became more noticeable and Machamp perked up. It set down the chewed skeletal leg and stood.

Vander looked just in time to see it catch sight of him. It had seen him move. He stood and immediately staggered with dizziness. _Onix. Please do something soon._

Machamp smiled and got closer. It licked its lips at the prospect of fresh meat. The boy lacked stamina for much amusement anyway.

The rumbling grew even louder.

Vander eyed the spots where Machamp had discarded his supplies. Earl's and Marsha's had received the same treatment. As the rumbling drew closer, small pebbles began to shake.

Machamp grinned and started looking around.

Onix erupted from the ground a few feet away and rammed his head into it.

Vander braced himself as Machamp grabbed the head and threw the rock snake.

Onix's massive form sailed over Earl and Marsha's corpses and landed on the edge of the cliff.

Machamp ignored the boy to pursue him.

Vander hobbled over to his backpack, picked it up, and began hastily stuffing his supplies. Some would inevitably stay behind. His first priority was the cooking set, a large cooking pot and a ladle. Next came his poké balls, notebook, and pen. Then he grabbed Earl's notebooks and stuffed them in.

Machamp leapt at Onix, fists raised.

Onix stiffened up.

Machamp landed on the rock snake and began pummeling him with punches and Karate Chops. Its attacks caused pain, but Onix's defenses held strong.

Onix tried to trip Machamp with a low tail swipe, but it leapt over the attack. Then he rammed his head into it, making contact while Machamp was still in the air. He winced as it countered with a punch to the head.

Machamp then turned its landing into an Earthquake.

The shockwave threw Vander to the ground. He scrambled back to his feet, blocking out the knee pain. Almost diving into the pile of his clothes he extracted his other pair of pants, a couple of underwear and a short-sleeved t-shirt. Then he stuffed the underwear and shirt into the backpack's side pouches.

Onix could only Harden. Machamp's attacks came too swiftly for him to dodge or strike back. His eyes remained tightly shut and his jaw clenched.

Machamp began cackling as it hammered Onix with Karate Chops.

With his bag on and pant tied around his waist, Vander turned to watch the pokémon. _I have to distract Machamp somehow! We have to escape!_ He looked around and soon found a baseball-sized rock. Taking a deep breath, he aimed the projectile.

Machamp was about to hit again when the rock struck between its four shoulder blades. It turned to look at the boy.

Onix's eyes shot open and it twisted its body for another tail swipe. This one connected and sent Machamp sailing over the cliff.

Vander ran up to Onix. Though still sore, his dizziness had faded.

Onix winced, and then gave him a nod before making another tunnel in the ground. This one went down towards the heart of the mountain at the angle of a theme park slide.

Vander jumped in after him and immediately realized why Onix had not done this with Earl and Marsha. He was sliding down the tunnel and soon enveloped in darkness.

Onix had circled around to close up the tunnel entrance.

Vander braced himself as he slowly picked up speed. He eventually collided with a clump of soft soil.

XXXOXXX

Firebrand opened her eyes. Her body ached and punished her for any movement. Vander was there, gathering berries from a nearby tree and adding them to a pile. It was getting dark and the area was filled with the sounds of bug pokémon. Then she noticed the large boulders that surrounded them. They reminded her of something.

Vander noticed Firebrand being awake and immediately moved to her, berry in hand. "Can you sit up?" When she answered with moan he decided to prop her up in his lap. Then he slowly fed her the berry.

It gave her a little energy. She was able to stand for a few seconds, but quickly returned to lying on the ground.

Onix, who had been coiled around their camp, peered down at her.

"Here take these." Vander fed several more berries. "Sorry, but Machamp ate all the meat." He then launched into an explanation of what had happened since he recalled her, glossing over the more disturbing details. "After Onix dug us out of there, he carried us away from the mountain."

Firebrand nodded as she took another berry from her trainer. Now she could sit up and eat by herself. She looked up at Onix.

He met her gaze for a moment and then resumed watch. His former home was still visible. There was no point going back, everything he cared about was gone. His eyes moistened, but tears wouldn't form. Onix never cried that way.

Vander began inspecting Firebrand's tail. The flame had been swelling slowly and was a little less than normal size. Its tongues were stable. "You'll be fine," he said, scratching her chin. "Just don't strain yourself for a while."

Firebrand purred until the scratching stopped. Then she laid down flat and closed her eyes.

With her taken care of, Vander turned his attention to Onix, who was still coiled around their camp and staring at the mountain. "Are you sure you're okay?"

He turned to give Vander a nod.

Vander took a few berries that were left in the cooking pot. "Do you want any?"

Onix shook his head. Then he dipped towards the ground, scooped up soil in his mouth, and swallowed.

Vander nodded. "So what are you going to do now?"

Onix shook his head before resting it on one of his other segments. His eyes closed and he was soon asleep.

Vander also wanted to sleep. However he kept thinking about Machamp and then Honchkrow. Then he thought about the Pallet Town incident. Eventually he drifted off.

_He was flat on the ground. A pressure on his back made getting up impossible. Looking up, he saw a familiar figure towering over him._

"_Hello Vander." He knelt and roughly grabbed the boy's cheeks. "How are you feeling?"_

_An unseen force kept Vander pinned no matter how hard he struggled. He couldn't speak either, only glare into the man's crimson eyes._

_The man stepped back. He brushed back some of his blond hair before pointing at two blocks of ice with Earl and Marsha inside. "Two more lives you couldn't save."_

_Vander found his voice. "Stop!"_

"_Stop?" The man raised an eyebrow. "No. It won't stop." His body began to change, becoming more muscular. His clothes and hair oozed off. "It won't ever stop." Each arm split to give him four. Soon he was a machamp. "Can you stop it?" He flexed all four arms and the ice blocks shattered._

_Vander began crying._

_The machamp cracked his knuckles. "Who next?" Several more ice blocks appeared. One contained Molly and others held random faces cobbled together from Vander's memories. "Maybe her!" He shattered Molly's block with a punch._

"_No."_

"_Or him." He shattered another that contained a man. "Or him! Or her!" He kept moving down the row of blocks, shattering random ones with sharp blows._

Vander awoke to find Firebrand and Onix staring down at him. He had been hyperventilating, but his breathing and heart rate dropped steadily.

It was still dark, but the sun was about to rise. One could tell based on the glowing aura running along the eastern horizon.

Vander sat up and placed a hand on his chest as he tried to slow his breathing. "I'm fine," he said, looking at Onix and Firebrand. His breathing came under control about a minute later. "We have to kill Machamp."

Onix and Firebrand looked at each other before turning back to Vander with wide eyes.

"If we don't do it, Machamp will keep killing. What if someone else goes onto the mountain?" He briefly shut his eyes and took a deep breath. "We have to make it stop." He looked back at them. "Do you two agree?"

There was a momentary pause before Onix nodded.

Firebrand frowned and looked Vander in the eye. She remembered the broken egg, and the dead onix. Then she remembered the Pallet Town incident. Vander would try to kill Machamp no matter how she answered.

Vander saw her nod slowly and put a hand on her shoulder. "I won't make you do it if you don't want to."

Firebrand shook her head and smiled at him. She would feel worse letting him try without her.

Vander stood up. "Then it's settled. We'll all train for a while and then fight Machamp." With that thought out of the way, Vander moved to his backpack and began the tedious process of reorganizing it.


	5. Terror Mountain: Brutal Victory

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon or have any rights to it.

* * *

Vander blocked out the pain as he forced the floss above the gum line. Blood was oozing out of the gaps between his teeth for the first time in a while. He could already imagine Molly lecturing him about doing it more often. After finishing both rows, it was time for mouthwash.

"What happened to your clothes," Molly asked, coming to the bathroom door with crossed arms and a raised eyebrow. "Were they all destroyed in your extreme training regimen?"

Off course she would assume that, especially after he came home with a giant onix. Vander spat out the mouthwash. "I lost them when we were attacked by a machamp."

"Machamp?" She seemed taken aback. "A wild Machamp?"

Vander nodded as he rinsed with water. He spat then said, "I don't know how it got there, but it attacked us and managed to get my backpack. I was able to get it back when Onix made a distraction, but we didn't have time to take all the clothes."

Molly took a deep breath. "You can tell me more at dinner." She left him to finish cleaning up and went down to the kitchen.

The pokémon were gathered around the patio, getting caught up. Molly's pokémon had been excited when they saw Onix. He had received a warm welcome.

Jeb seemed to take particular interest in his story. He frowned when Onix reached the part about his family's death.

_I can't wait to here what this is about._ Molly heard Vander coming down the stairs as she began setting the table. There would be five eating tonight. She was grateful that Onix subsisted on soil. _I can't imagine feeding something that big._

Vander came down and helped Molly set the table. He set out bowls of unspecified pokémon food for Jeb and Webster, and one of meat for Firebrand. Molly and him would be having soup and bread.

"So what exactly happened to you on that mountain," she asked as the five of them ate. The back door was open so Onix could listen in as well.

"We came to the mountain and it was almost deserted. Then Onix came and took us underground and we met Earl and Marsha. They were researchers who lived on the mountain and they told us that something had killed a bunch of pokémon and scared the others away."

Molly nodded. "And why did you go there in the first place. I remember you telling me that it was for special training." She raised an eyebrow and took note of Firebrand's cheeky smirk.

"We wanted to catch a giant onix for our team." He heard Molly exhale deeply. It called for damage control. "We weren't going to try if they were too strong and Firebrand had plenty of experience battling other onix."

Molly shook her head. "Alright, I'll buy that. What happened after you went underground."

Vander then summarized all the events up to their escape. He skipped over the more gruesome details. Molly didn't need to know that Machamp had gleefully tortured him.

Molly still looked horrified, more so that Vander actually had to witness the deaths. "So what are you planning now? I assume Onix is not yours yet. All of your poké balls look unused."

Vander gulped and then took a big bite of bread to buy some time. As it came time to swallow he decided to tell the full truth, minus one detail. "We want to train and then go back to defeat Machamp."

Molly shook her head. "I knew it."

Vander resorted to more damage control. "If we don't stop Machamp, it'll keep killing or hurting other people and pokémon. What if some other trainers go onto the mountain? If Onix hadn't found us-"

"Then let us call in the Elite Four. They can stop it safely."

"But-" He thought for a moment. "They might not believe us. Most people don't think bad pokémon exist. Machamp was definitely a bad pokémon."

"You just want to fight it yourself."

He did. "We have to do this. How are we going to beat the Elite Four if we stand back and let them do all the hard stuff?"

Molly shook her head and then smiled. _Always good at twisting logic._ "How about a deal? You have to get at least one more badge before you challenge Machamp and it can't be any badge. You'll have to challenge one of the stronger gyms. If I'm impressed with the badge you get, I'll let you go."

"That's fair." Vander looked at Firebrand, and then to Onix. Both nodded. "We'll look for a strong gym and try to beat it."

Over the following week, Vander spent time, training, researching, and preparing for the gym battle. Molly also took him to Viridian to shop, refusing to let him leave without an adequate set of clothes. Vander set out with Firebrand and Onix at the end of the week.

XXXOXXX

Of the many gyms in Kanto, the one at the Rose Road Ranch had among the best. It was located in the mountains that divided Eastern and Western Kanto.

The journey had lasted two weeks. Astride Onix, Vander looked down into the valley that housed the ranch. He was wearing a red hoodie on top of a long-sleeve shirt to cope with the alpine weather.

Firebrand sat behind him. The tongues of her flame flickered around rapidly when she caught sight of the herds of mareep, tauros and miltank grazing in the grassland below.

"Thanks for the ride Onix," Vander said as they dismounted near the farmhouse. It was a large red brick building with a brown tiled roof.

Several ranch pokémon watched them from over the fence that encircled the ranch.

A man in his forties answered the door. He had brown hair and a small goatee. "Well hello." His voice was smooth and deep. Upon seeing the two pokémon he added, "Are you here for a gym battle?"

"We are," Vander replied.

The man nodded. "The name's Charles. Nice to meet."

"I'm Vander," he replied. "And this is Firebrand, and Onix."

Charles raised an eyebrow. "Onix doesn't have a nickname?"

Onix technically wasn't Vander's pokémon, but Charles didn't need to know that. "I haven't come up with a name yet. So can we have the battle now?"

Charles looked over at Onix and Firebrand. "Well, your pokémon looked well rested. Follow me." He led them around the house and through a gate to a bare earth arena located amid tall grass. "I guess two on two would be perfect. Here are my pokémon."

A rapidash and girafarig appeared in flashes of white light.

"Are they your strongest?"

Charles looked over at the Onix and Firebrand. "They are. Your charmeleon and onix are very strong. I can tell just by looking so I won't be holding back."

"Can we allow both sides to substitute?"

Charles shrugged. "Well sure, why not?"

There was no referee, due to the leader's family being away for a while. The battle began when both sides said they were ready. Round one was Onix versus Shirley, the Girafarig.

"Psybeam."

Shirley's eyes began glowing light blue. A rainbow beam shot out from between the horns on her head.

Onix flinched as the attack hit.

Vander frowned. _He's got a much weaker special defense._ Then he caught Onix turning back to look at him. _This is new for both of us and he's much slower than Firebrand._

"Psybeam."

"Use Dig then Rock Polish!"

Onix flinched as another Psybeam made contact, but managed to tunnel underground moments later.

Charles scanned the battlefield, as did Shirley. His eyes narrowed when the ground began rumbling.

Shirley leapt away as Onix emerged from the ground.

"Iron Tail!"

Onix swiped at Shirley with his tail, but his opponent easily evaded. He tried to follow up with Iron Head with similar results. As his head hit the ground he used the momentum to make another hole.

Vander smiled. _None of his pokémon knows Earthquake._ His research had paid off.

Charles frowned as he eyed the three large holes. His girafarig still had enough room to run around them. _A few more of those could be a problem._ "Agility!"

Onix emerged from the ground. His opponent was still able to run circles around in spite of his second Rock Polish.

"Psychic."

Vander glanced around the battlefield, his mind racing. _He can't take too many of those!_ He then noticed how much space the four holes had taken up. _Now I get it._ "Screech and then Dig again!"

Shirley flinched and lost focus when an unnaturally high-pitched Screech emerged from Onix's mouth. She had already been struggling to hold up the behemoth.

Once free, Onix dug again and barely missed his opponent while resurfacing.

"Forget the attacks, just keep making holes!"

Ironhide caught on immediately and made another one.

Now there were seven, leaving only narrow stretches of battlefield between them. Shirley began sweating when she realized how small it was.

Vander felt satisfied. "Use Earthquake," he said when Onix emerged.

"Psychic!"

Shirley's eyes glowed a light blue and she stopped Onix's attack.

"Screech!"

As before, the sound broke her concentration. Shirley was panting as she relinquished her hold.

_His only other pokémon is a rapidash._ Vander smiled. "Alright Onix. I think you can stop now. Let Firebrand battle for a while."

Onix nodded and slithered off the battlefield. Firebrand stepped onto what little surface area remained. Looking at the holes, she wondered how deep Onix had made them. If they were shallow, she could safely take advantage of them.

"Psychic!"

"Smokescreen!"

Firebrand opened her mouth and enveloped the field in a cloud of black smoke before her opponent could react. She then followed up with a Flamethrower, aimed where Shirley had been standing.

Shirley anticipated the move and used Psychic to hold off the attack, but she lacked the strength to redirect it.

"Psybeam to break through."

The smoke blew away as the Psybeam met Flamethrower. There was an explosion.

Shirley felt dizzy. While physically okay, the mental strain was starting to build. She soon toppled over, into one of the holes.

"Return," Charles said. _That was close I'd hate to try and get her out of those._ "Alright, go Edward."

The rapidash emerged onto one of the remaining strips of land.

"Bounce."

Edward leapt high into the air, as if he could fly. He came down on Firebrand's land strip.

She leapt across a hole to another strip. Her opponent leapt again and she ran, careful to avoid falling. Tongue of her swollen flame flicked about excitedly.

"Ember!"

Charles raised an eyebrow.

Firebrand turned and flicked fiery pellets from her tail flame. They hit Edward's face and gave enough of a distraction for her to evade the Bounce and follow up with an Iron Tail.

Edward let out a high-pitched neigh as the Iron Tail hit his back leg and toppled him into an adjacent hole. However he quickly regained composure during the fall and flipped over to his feet with feline-like reflexes. He pushed off upon landing.

Vander, Onix, and Firebrand gaped when they saw Edward emerge from the hole and land gracefully on an adjacent strip.

"That's enough Firebrand. Let Onix take over."

Firebrand looked back at her trainer and nodded. There was no point in dragging the battle out and she already had her fill of this type of battle.

"I think we should stop now," Charles said.

Vander frowned. "Why? Nobody won yet."

Charles shook his head. "Well, I knew I'd lost when you beat Shirley. She was my only hope against your onix. I just wanted to test your charmeleon a little longer." Reaching into his jacket pocket, he pulled out a yellow metallic object shaped like a hoof. "Your switching to Onix was like checkmate. Edward could dance around him for a while, but it would only prolong the inevitable."

"Why not switch out Shirley when I sent Firebrand?"

"It would lead to the similar result. You'd switch back to Onix and I'd go back to Shirley and she'd still be too weak to beat you." He walked over the Vander and placed the badge in the boy's hand. "The Hoof Badge is yours."

Vander looked at the badge and then smiled at Onix and Firebrand. _Phase one is complete._

XXXOXXX

"Are you sure you want to go through with this." Molly wasn't giving up. "I could still contact the Pokémon League."

Vander shook his head. This time he had read up on the league. "They're probably busy right now. September is usually when the winner of the Kanto League starts challenging the Elite Four."

Molly sighed and then looked out the glass back door. Firebrand was sparring with Webster. Further on, beyond the fields, she could see Jeb wrestling with Onix at the training grounds. "They've gotten stronger, but do you think that will be enough to beat Machamp? You said it did not have the power restraining belt."

Vander nodded. "I don't know for sure, but I think we can do. I also think that Onix needs this. Machamp killed his family."

She frowned. "You're talking about you-know-who as well, aren't you?"

Vander turned away from her. "No. I just want to help Onix." He was lying.

Molly shook her head. "Never mind. Just be careful. I said I'd let you go if you kept your end."

"I will come back."

They would leave the following morning and reach the mountain a week later.

XXXOXXX

"Machamp!" Vander yelled at the top of his lungs, along with Firebrand and Onix who called out in their own language.

They were on Mt Miyazaki in a large open plain that bordered a steep cliff. There was plenty of space for them to maneuver, but a fall from the cliff onto the jagged rocks below could kill any of them with the possible exception of Onix.

Vander stopped yelling and set his minimally packed backpack near one of the rocks that lay along the edge of the plain.

Machamp grinned with glee when it saw them waiting for it. Sliding down the mountainside, it flexed arm muscles. The sight of the three made it lick its lips at the prospect of new meat.

Vander was about to draw his knife when Firebrand stopped him. After a pause he gave her a nod. "Fine, I'll let you two handle it."

Machamp ran at them.

Onix slithered in front of it and took the brunt its attacks. He used Harden and shut his eyes as Machamp hammered him with Karate Chops.

Firebrand leapt over Onix and struck Machamp in the back with Metal Claw.

Machamp froze before it could deliver a Dynamic Punch. Firebrand's attacks were doing some damage. It turned around to attack Firebrand.

Onix's eyes shot open when he felt the pressure lift. He immediately coiled around Machamp and got it in a Bind.

Machamp growled angrily and began pounding its upper arm fists.

Firebrand leapt onto one of Onix's rocky segments and nailed Machamp's head with a Flamethrower. She then leapt towards her stunned opponent and slashed at it with Metal Claw.

Machamp's face was getting scratched up and it growled through gritted teeth. It caught one of Firebrand's Metal Claws and threw her off before pushing out with its lower arms. With a mighty heave, it pried off the coils and toppled Onix with a Low Kick.

Firebrand leapt at Machamp and struck at it with a Metal Claw barrage.

Machamp easily blocked most of the blows and then grabbed her attempted Iron Tail.

Onix swung his tail low and tripped Machamp before it could throw Firebrand.

Machamp released her and used its arms to push up into the air. Its landing was an Earthquake that made both opponents flinch and knocked Vander onto his back.

Vander struck Machamp with a rock. "Fire Spin."

Firebrand spewed out a spiraling jet of fire that engulfed Machamp in a tornado of flames upon contact. She then leapt as Onix used his own Earthquake.

Machamp dropped to one knee, but then stood and yelled. It leapt above Onix. Flames still engulfed it.

Onix tried to counter with Iron Head.

Machamp used Cross Chop and stunned Onix with a strike to the head. The flames went out. Then it grabbed the crest.

Onix shut his eyes and bellowed. Machamp had lifted him into the air.

It then slammed him into the mountainside. Machamp turned around and Mega Kicked Firebrand.

She flew back and slid off the cliff. Her flame turned bright yellow as she fell towards the jagged rocks below.

Vander ran towards the cliff, poké ball in hand.

Machamp intercepted him near the edge.

"Firebrand!"

She looked and saw Vander dangling over the cliff edge, kicking and screaming in Machamp's grasp. Her fists clenched and her flame turned from yellow to bluish white. Though the fall would last a minute, it felt longer to her as she relived her past failures.

She had failed her trainer, first in the Pallet incident, then against Honchkrow and finally with Machamp. Trainer battles were one thing, but in the life or death moments, she had buckled. Now she was failing him again and for the last time. Her flame turned to a pure glowing white and the glow continued to spread.

Onix got back up. He yanked Machamp away from the cliff with his tail.

Vander caught a glimpse of a glowing Firebrand before he was pulled away. He quickly rolled away and stood after Machamp had dropped him.

Onix roared and rammed an Iron Head into Machamp. He bulldozed it into a large rock that bordered the slope and the plain.

Firebrand opened her eyes and gave her wings a mighty flap. The burst of air helped her avoid the rocks less than ten feet below.

Vander looked over the side of the cliff. His moist eyes went wide at what he saw.

Firebrand flew above the cliff before swooping down to land in front of Vander. She was now roughly twice his height and had a long neck with a more dragon-like head. While she looked less suited to running, her large wings more than made up for it.

Vander ran up and hugged her.

Firebrand paused before wrapping her arms around him. It felt odd being bigger than him, and not just a little bigger. She towered over him and Machamp to a lesser extent.

A loud crash interrupted the moment. Machamp had thrown Onix. It jumped, intending to make another Earthquake.

She let Vander go before taking to the air. Her right wing smacked into Machamp, as it reached the top of its leap.

Machamp fell on its back. It got up and stared at the newly evolved Firebrand. However her change looked more like a pleasant surprise. Evolved pokémon made for better sport.

Onix shook his head as he reared back up. He had to blink a few times before Firebrand's new form registered.

She looked to Onix and nodded. Then she rushed Machamp when it had gotten up.

Machamp caught Firebrand's arms with its lower arms and caught her wings with the upper ones.

She couldn't break free of its grasp. Firebrand opened her mouth and spewed a point-blank Flamethrower at Machamp's face.

It could only withstand it for a few seconds. Machamp released Firebrand's wings before shielding its face with one of its forearms. It tried to clamp her mouth shut with its other free arm.

Firebrand clapped her wings together, but the move had little effect on Machamp.

It stopped the searing stream of fire by clamping a hand over her jaws. Then its other arm grabbed her by the neck and squeezed.

Onix stunned Machamp with an Iron Tail to the back.

Firebrand freed herself when she felt Machamp's grip loosen. She turned and struck it in the gut with Iron Tail.

Machamp fell on its back and covered its face to block Firebrand's Flamethrower.

"Get into the air," Vander called to Firebrand.

When she took off, Onix got an idea and used Earthquake.

Machamp got up only to get struck by a Wing Attack. This sent it flying into an Iron Tail from Onix. It landed on all six limbs, growling angrily. For the first time in a while, it had felt true physical pain.

Onix moved in from behind Machamp. He tried to trap it in a Bind.

Machamp sensed the attack. Its upper left arm glowed with red energy.

Onix started to coil.

It whirled around used Dynamic Punch.

Onix skidded back a few feet. He slammed into the barren slope. His eyes turned red. Suddenly he began feeling disoriented.

Firebrand began spraying Machamp with Flamethrower, which kept it occupied.

Vander stood back as Onix began thrashing around. He was somewhat relieved when the rock snake hastily tunneled into the mountain. _Good. The last thing we need is a confused Onix on the battlefield. I just hope he can overcome it soon._

Machamp noticed the battle had turned one on one. It jumped towards Firebrand and almost reached her.

"Don't let it grab you!"

She nodded and then hit Machamp with Flamethrower as it descended.

Upon landing, Machamp immediately charged towards Vander.

Running was pointless so Vander drew his knife.

Firebrand closed in behind Machamp, determined not to let it fight her trainer.

His eyes widened. "Don't get close!"

It was too late. Machamp grinned and grabbed her with its upper arms as she approached it. Then it leapt into the air and did a somersault, grabbing her with its lowers arms in the process. Two more somersaults followed before Machamp slammed Firebrand into the ground.

Firebrand groaned as she pushed herself up.

Machamp landed next to her and used Low Kick before she could stand. It then tried to land a Cross Chop.

Firebrand extended her right wing, catching Machamp in the chin. She pushed herself up before it could recover and then opened her mouth for a Flamethrower.

Machamp lunged at her, intent to clamp her jaws shut with its upper right hand.

She canceled her attack and whirled around to smack it with Iron Tail.

Machamp caught her tail with its lower right hand and strengthened its hold with the lower left. It spun her around and threw her into the slope. It's eyes began to glow, but stopped when Vander nailed its head with a rock.

Firebrand hit Machamp with Flamethrower.

Machamp was starting to pant when the attack finished. Its body was sizzling and there were burn marks on its chest. Its eyes began glowing again, and this time it was able to make stones emerge from the ground and levitate.

Unable to dodge, Firebrand braced herself, folding her wings in front to form a shield. She soon realized with horror that the stones had curved away from her and towards a new target.

Vander ran as fast as he could, looking back every few seconds to see the stones gaining on him. He was soon forced to roll over. The stones kept pelting the ground next to him until he reached the slope. Unable to dodge, he raised his arms to block the last two. A chill ran through his forearms, accompanied by excruciating pain.

Firebrand's eyes widened at the ugly wounds the rocks made. They would most likely scar.

Vander was hyperventilating and whimpered as he willed himself to look at the wounds.

Her flame turned bright white. Firebrand rushed towards Machamp and rammed it with her wings.

Machamp grinned as it grabbed her and did a backward roll. It had her pinned and began pounding her with Dynamic Punch.

Firebrand only got reprieve from the onslaught when Machamp decided to stop and stepped away from her. Upon standing she saw Machamp's eyes glowing. She lacked the strength to fly.

Vander overcame his pain long enough to see the Stone Edge knock out Firebrand. He stood slowly, extracted her poké ball from his pocket, and called her back before Machamp could do more damage.

The ground rumbled.

Machamp took a few steps toward Vander. It stopped, smiled, and then leapt out of the way as Onix erupted from the ground.

Vander shielded his eyes from the resulting dust cloud, struggling to block out the burning it caused in his wounds. He noticed that Onix while not confused, had sustained significant damage. _How much of that came from hurting itself? I don't remember those cracks being there!_

Onix swung his glowing metallic tail at Machamp. It leapt over his attack and struck him in the jaw with a Mega Punch. The blow cracked some of the rock and sent him sprawling.

Vander scrambled over to his backpack, a few hundred feet away from the battle. He rolled up part of his shirt and bit down on it before extracting his first aid kit. Struggling to keep his eyes open, he used forceps to extract the small fragments of rock still stuck to his forearm. The skin had been shredded where the attack hit and damaged within a two-inch radius, but there was no significant blood loss.

Onix Hardened as Machamp pummeled him with punches. He was on the ground and couldn't get up.

Tears ran down Vander's cheeks when he started applying alcohol. It made his wounds burn, almost as painfully as the attack that caused them. His eyes remained shut tight for a moment before he started bandaging.

Machamp was panting and its body had been burned and bruised. It gave Onix a brief reprieve before rushing back in and kicking the downed snake.

Vander lacked the time, skill or patience to tie a bandage onto his own arm. So he resorted to wrapping a layer of duct tape around it. When it was done, his eyes and shirt were moist and his wound still burned. He saw Onix at the mercy of Machamp and then searched for his knife. He had dropped it while trying to escape the Stone Edge.

Machamp's next kick drew blood from Onix's jaw.

Vander found his knife and crept towards Machamp. It was preoccupied beating Onix. _No battle cries._ He moved quickly as he could, teeth clenched to help drown out the pulsating pain in his forearms. _No battle cries._ Now he was within ten feet of Machamp.

It didn't notice the boy. Machamp was panting. However, its opponent was in no position to exploit that. Even if Onix could, Machamp was not defenseless.

_Right in the neck!_ Vander leapt towards Machamp, the knife clutched in his hands. Falling short of his target, he embedded it Machamp's left trapezius muscle.

Machamp's eyes widened before it latched onto the boy with three of its arms, the upper left being unable to reach him. However its fatigue began to show up in the inability to pry him off.

Vander was mostly fresh and adrenaline fueled his hysteric strength. Shutting his eyes, he clung to the blade handle as tightly as he could. Then he heard the blade snap.

Onix reared up and saw Machamp hurl the boy away from it before stumbling around.

It was trying in vain to remove the partial blade in its flesh, unknowingly stumbling towards the cliff. Machamp stopped when it was mere inches away from the edge.

That was the moment Onix struck with Iron Tail. He was hyperventilating as the monster that had killed his family toppled over the cliff to its death. Onix didn't bother looking and turned to lie down near Vander. His jaw was broken and he lacked the strength for much movement.

Vander was curled up in the fetal position, whimpering. The fall had hurt, but it also aggravated the wounds on his forearms. His entire body was tense in an attempt to block out the pain.

It was not a glorious victory. They would remain lying on the ground for at least an hour. By then the pain had mellowed out.

Vander managed to sit up. "So…we won."

Onix lifted his head and nodded.

Vander took a deep breathe. "What are your plans now?" He saw Onix slowly shaking his head. _All right Vander ask him._ "Would like to join Firebrand and me?"

Onix didn't answer for a few minutes. Then he nodded slowly and smiled. However, the pain of his broken jaw turned the smile into a pained grimace.

Vander stood up. "I'll get the great ball. We'll probably be stuck here for a while though."

XXXOXXX

Vander awoke in bed two days later. His forearms were properly bandaged. There had also been a few other minor injuries to treat, and Molly had insisted he take antibiotics to prevent infection.

Molly entered the room with a plate of two all peanut butter sandwiches. "Firebrand and Onix are doing fine, but I'm not letting them move around too much. Onix will probably be fully healed in a few days, but Firebrand will take another week." She set the plate on the bedside table.

Vander nodded and slowly sat up. "I should eat with them."

Molly placed her hand on his shoulder. 'They'll be fine. You should eat here. Don't move around too much." She shook her head when she saw him pout. "Being thrown by a Machamp and getting hit by Stone Edge did more than damage your arms and bruise you a little. There are all these little injuries that need time to recover."

"How long until I can go out?"

"Wait a week or two." She opened the curtains, making the room noticeably brighter. "Also, I didn't tell Professor Oak, but I want you to promise me something."

Vander gulped. "What is it?"

"Don't do anymore of this off-the-beaten-path stuff for a while. Please stick to the cities and normal routes."

Vander nodded. "Fine. I promise to stay in cities or on regular routes. How long?"

"Just until…until you beat me. Then I will at least know that you are better protected than I am." She gave him a cheeky grin. "Is that fair?"

Vander nodded. "I'll keep my promise until then."

"You should." She moved to the doorway. "If you come back here like this again and I find out you broke your promise, you'll have jelly in your sandwiches."

Vander's eyes widened. Now he would really listen.

Then she remembered something and turned back to him. "I just remembered. Onix."

"Yes?" Vander leaned forward as if expecting bad news.

"You haven't nicknamed him yet."

Vander relaxed a little and began thinking. _Onix will become a steelix. He'll be even more defensive then._ "Ask him what he thinks of Steelhide?"

Molly raised an eyebrow. "That doesn't sound quite right. Maybe you should pick a different metal."

"Then what about Ironhide?"

"That sounds much better." Molly then left to tell Onix.

Vander smiled to himself. _Ironhide. He's my first pokémon, at least by a technicality. So where do we go next?_ He thought about his two pokémon and what their strengths and weaknesses were. _They cover each other pretty well…except for water._ He took a bite of his sandwich. _Cerulean, that's where we'll go._


	6. Dream Eaters: A New Team Member

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon or have any rights to it.

* * *

Vander flopped onto the single bed in his room at one of Saffron City's Pokémon Centers. He had just finished the third day of preliminary rounds at a tournament sponsored by Silph Co.

Firebrand had breezed through most of the earlier battles, but she eventually tired. When his next opponent used a powerful electabuzz Vander saw no choice, but to use Ironhide That had been the first two days. On the third, the opponents in his block seemed to realize they were his only two pokémon and always used water types against him.

_At least I have two weeks to catch something else before the finals._ Vander got up and began repacking his supplies. Unlike the Cerulean Gym, the upcoming battles could not be redone and he wanted the grand prize.

He had found out about it from a poster and registered at the Pokémon Center. Weakness to water aside, Vander had realized his team was too small.

The preliminaries were all one on one while the quarter and semifinals involved two pokémon.

Vander would need to catch a third during the two-weak reprieve to qualify for the final round. He went downstairs for dinner after he had finished packing. His new clothes were better suited to autumn, consisting of black long-sleeved t-shirts and blue jeans. While his hair had also grown longer, it still wasn't long enough for the ponytail he wanted.

The trainers in the lobby were mostly around his age if not a year or two older. Most had a pokémon or two out with them. Vander could no longer do this due to Firebrand's increased size.

His right hand subconsciously moved to the new knife strapped to his utility belt. It was the only component of the he had brought. The flashlight, med kit and map holder were in his room.

Nurse Joy smiled when she saw him approaching the main desk. "Your charizard and onix should be healed by tomorrow morning. I have to say looking after them has been challenging, especially your onix. We needed to clear out the basement just to get the room to treat it."

"Sorry for the trouble," he replied. "I'm probably going to be visiting the estuary."

"Really? I know the tournament finals begin in two weeks, but shouldn't you just stay here and train."

Vander looked around to make sure nobody was eavesdropping. "I only have two pokémon." He saw Nurse Joy stifling a gasp. "I'm going to catch my third before the finals."

"So you plan to catch and train up your third pokémon in two weeks? That's cutting it pretty close."

"There are only three battles left. Besides, both my other pokémon can cover for the new one and it's mainly so I won't be disqualified from the final round." He paused and looked her in the eye. "You're not going to tell anyone, are you?"

She chuckled and shook her head. "No, but I will insist on giving the new one a checkup before the finals."

"Why?"

"The estuary can have all sorts of bacteria or parasites. I just want to make sure it's healthy." She also looked around. "If you catch one, you'll be fine. Just don't tell anyone about this," she added with a wink.

With that settled Vander moved to the food court. There was a wide selection of food, but Vander immediately zeroed in on the one he wanted before searching for a seat. Most tables were packed, but he found one that was half vacant, the other occupants being a trainer and her pokémon.

She was most likely a year older than him though they were about the same height. Her hair was dark purple and her skin even darker than his tan. Vander recognized her as the other finalist from his block.

A strong poliwrath sat next to her, enjoying its food.

"Can I sit here?"

She looked up from her meal and nodded. "Sure."

Vander sat down and began eating his cheese fries. He soon noticed her looking at him and asked, "Is something wrong?"

"I was just wondering where you pokémon are? I mean other than that charizard and onix."

Her question triggered alarm bells in spite of her outward friendliness. _I can't tell her too much._ "I already fed them. They're resting."

"Resting? You never used any of them?"

"They've been training and I just want to keep them…reserved in case I need to surprise my opponents."

"Oh." She grinned at him.

He felt slightly unnerved by her, but held out hope that she had not figured him out. "So…your poliwrath looks strong. I'll bet it's your strongest."

"He's definitely up there, but I also used a Golem that was just as strong."

_I forgot about that one._ Vander tried to stifle his nerves by eating. He still couldn't stop the heat rising in his face.

"Got any badges?"

Vander nodded, grateful for the shift in conversation. "I have three."

"Really? You seem a bit strong for three. I've got five." She showed him a badge case that held the Boulder Badge, and four others that Vander didn't recognize. "Show me which ones you have."

"I don't have them with me," they were in his backpack. "I also have the Boulder Badge, and I have the Hoof Badge."

She looked impressed by that. "What's your third?"

"The Cascade, but I'm not really proud of that one. The real gym leader was in the hospital so I ended up battle his daughter, Daisy. I think I might go back and challenge the real leader."

Her face darkened. "I don't think you'll get that chance." She took a deep breath. "The gym leader was injured in an accident, something about his gyarados and his youngest daughter." She took another pause. "He died a few days ago. I read about it in the paper."

"Were you on your way to get the Cascade Badge?" She nodded. "So. What are your plans for the two week gap?"

"I'm just going to train in the woods around Saffron. You?"

"Probably something similar."

"Have any psychic types?"

He relaxed a little. "No." _What could be wrong with telling her that?_ "Should I?" He raised an eyebrow when her face became more serious. The poliwrath also seemed to tense up a little.

"Have you had any strange dreams lately. Or maybe you had a dream and then it suddenly stops." Her face scrunched up as she searched for the right words.

"I think I had some weird dreams." Vander paused for a moment. "You mean the dream stops, but you don't wake up."

She snapped her fingers. "Exactly! My abra told me why that happened."

_So she has an abra._ "Why did it happen?"

"Dream Eater," she said in a low ominous tone. "There are drowsee nearby. They like eating the dreams of children more than adults."

"We're in the middle of a big city. Why haven't they appeared on the news?"

"Psychic pokémon are crafty. They can hide, and most people don't realize that their dreams were eaten. I only knew because my abra told me."

"So do I need to be careful? I mean if they're only eating my dreams there isn't really a problem."

Her face darkened. "Abra said there was something else as well. I don't know for sure, but it might be a hypno."

"Why would that be different?"

"Well aside from being stronger, hypno have been known to kidnap people."

"That's just an urban legend."

She shook her head. "I'm not taking any chances. I suggest you find a psychic pokémon to protect you."

"My other pokémon can protect me."

"Yes, but they can't block hypno from tracking you. My abra can do that for me so we won't even have to fight."

_She has a point, but we could use more experience against psychic types._ He finished the cheese fries and got up. "Thanks for letting me sit here."

"No problem," she replied. "I hope we get to battle in the tournament. I want to fight your onix and charizard."

He nodded. _She knows two of my pokémon. Oh well. At least I know three of her pokémon._ "I'm Vander," he added before turning to leave.

"Call me Monique," she said as he left.

XXXOXXX

The storm had made its deep ocean home hostile so Staryu sought refuge in shallower coastal waters. It eventually traveled into Vermillion Bay and then farther north into more brackish water.

It was the Saffron-Vermillion Estuary. A large lake, dotted with muddy islands, where fresh water flowing down from Mt Moon mixed with saltwater from Vermillion Bay.

Staryu swam close to the surface. It spotted many trees laden with fruits and inhabited by bird pokémon like pidgey. Small rodent pokémon like ratata scurried around the base of the trees and among the lower lying plants. It even saw a few attempting to swim between islands.

"What am I doing here?"

Staryu heard the voice and spotted a boy with black hair trudging through the muddy islands and wading through shallower passages between them. It swam close to him yet remained hidden.

Vander waded through another stretch of shallow muddy water; using a stick he had found to gauge the depth. He moved further into the next island and out of Staryu's view. _No fishing rod, and no way to battle in the water. What was I thinking coming here? I should've had Firebrand help me catch a grass type first._

Something stirred behind him. There was a rustling in the bushes. Chanting followed soon after.

_Some kind of pokémon!_ He fingered the poké balls in his right pocket. _Firebrand doesn't have room in these trees and I would be dumb to use Ironhide in an estuary._ So he ran away from the chanting.

Staryu saw the boy as it circled the island. He was apparently running from something, but stopped to gauge the water at the edge of the island. It knew the water was deep. In fact it was deep enough to conceal very large things.

Vander turned back to the source of the chanting. He pulled a poké ball out of his pocket. _I can't run, but Firebrand should have room to maneuver here._

Staryu felt a change in the currents. Something was here with it. It swerved aside as something large swam past it towards the boy.

Vander was about to release Firebrand when the chanting suddenly stopped. He allowed himself to relax and return the ball to his pocket. _Was it my imagination?_

A large serpentine figure erupted from the water behind him. It let out a deep hiss.

Vander whirled around in time to take a Hydro Pump to the chest. It pushed him several feet and knocked him down. The entire back of his body, including his med kit were caked in mud. He scrambled to his feet when he heard another hiss.

The gyarados wasn't large or powerful by the standards of its kind, but it still posed a threat to humans. It reared back to strike as Vander got to his feet.

The boy had intrigued Staryu. Perhaps that was why it decided to intervene.

A streak of golden stars hit Gyarados from the right. The serpent turned just in time to get smacked back into the water by the spinning star. It hissed as it lost balance.

Staryu circled around and landed at the edge of the island a few feet away from Vander.

Gyarados let out another angry hiss.

Vander grabbed Firebrand's poké ball from his pocket and released her just as Gyarados emerged from the water. "Wing Attack!"

Firebrand swerved around an incoming Hydro Pump. She struck Gyarados in the neck with her wing, knocking it back underwater.

It reemerged moments later.

Firebrand attacked from behind and struck it in the back with another Wing Attack. She waited for Gyarados to rise again before landing several Metal Claws and finishing with an Iron Tail.

Gyarados fell back into the water and got up more slowly. Several successive blows near the head had left it dizzy. It glared at Firebrand for a few seconds before deciding it wasn't worth the effort and then dove underwater.

"Good job." Vander then stepped back as Firebrand came in for a landing.

Upon landing she took in their surroundings before frowning with disgust. It was far too wet for her liking, her flame even turned slightly green. Then she turned to check on Vander. He was messy, but otherwise unharmed.

"I know what you're thinking." Vander hastily opened the map pocket and pulled out a folded brochure. He opened it and pointed. "See! We're on a tour route so it still counts."

Firebrand just shook her head. Vander's logical gymnastics weren't as fun after she evolved. However there was no harm in just dropping the subject.

"Hyah!" The appearance of the strange fire type had left Staryu curious. Did this human have more pokémon? Were they well taken care of? It had to assume so based on how the fire type looked.

Vander smiled and approached cautiously. He knelt in front of Staryu. "Thanks for your help. If you hadn't distracted Gyarados I might not have been able to call her out."

Staryu just stared at him without speaking. It processed everything he had said.

"Um…okay." Vander turned to Firebrand. "Should we try to catch it?"

She shrugged. It was definitely a water type, something Vander had been looking for.

However Vander quickly remembered Ironhide's family. "Wait. I think we shouldn't try to catch it that way." He turned back to Staryu. "Staryu, I'm going to be honest. I want you to come with us and be part of our team, but I'm not going to force you to come if you don't want to."

Firebrand understood. She nodded to reaffirm her trainer's words.

Staryu continued to think. This child was a trainer who obviously fed at least one of his pokémon well. He was also apparently unwilling to force pokémon to join him yet how could it be sure he knew what it wanted?

As Staryu mulled things over, Vander recalled Firebrand. He then saw Staryu rubbing its central gem with one of its arms. "Hungry?" After scanning the surrounding trees he picked an assortment of three different berries.

Staryu hopped forward and then turned its back on him.

Vander saw its mouth, located directly between the five legs. He began feeding it, trying different berries.

Staryu rejected the first few, but warmed up to a yellow berry with red spots.

Looking at the berry, Vander smiled. _Now I have some idea of what it likes._ He promptly got more of the favored berry, discarding the rest.

Staryu finished eating and turned to face Vander.

"So would you like to come along with us?"

The boy had proven his resourcefulness. The poké ball also seemed like a secure place to retreat if conditions outside were bad. "Hyah!" It flexed its top arm like one would nod a head.

"Thank you," Vander replied as he got an empty poké ball.

Several minutes later he was exiting the marsh. It was a great relief to be walking on firm ground. All that lay between him and Saffron was a large grassy plain. The tall grass came up to his chest at its highest point.

Suddenly, things began rustling in the grass all around him.

Vander stopped, his right hand fingering the poké balls in his pocket. _Maybe I should use Staryu. Actually, I forgot to give it a nickname so I'll send it out anyway._ He sent Staryu out just as the chanting began.

It wasn't human chanting, and clearly came from multiple voices. They had the pair surrounded.

Staryu glanced around, as the voices seemed to close in. Perhaps this was what it felt like to be a trainer's pokémon. It was beginning to wonder if the life was safer after all.

"We can do this Staryu," Vander said. "Just do your best and let me know if you think it's too much." Then he realized how difficult it would be. Staryu didn't have a face.

Staryu took some comfort in Vander's other pokémon. If all else failed perhaps that fire type could fly them to safety.

The rustling grew louder as several small figures began closing in around them.

Vander picked Staryu up. "Use Swift on the grass as I turn around," he whispered.

Staryu pelted the grass with a spray of golden stars. They came from its central gem. The attack stopped the chanting and made the creatures scatter. Staryu noticed that they were just spreading out and saw something else moving closer.

Vander stopped spinning when he fell dizzy. "Did they stop?"

Staryu leapt into the air and began spinning towards a spot in the grass. Moments later and unseen opponent sent it flying back towards its trainer.

"Use Water Gun!" Vander pointed at the spot it had attacked.

Staryu fired a small jet of water from its top leg. However a golden glass like wall appeared to block the attack.

"That's a Light Screen!" Vander's right hand immediately went to Firebrand's poké ball. He sent her out moments before something emerged from the tall grass in front of them.

It was a few inches taller than Vander with a body the color of yellow mustard. A furry white collar surrounded its neck and it carried a pendulum.

_Monique was right. There is a hypno._ He heard the chanting start up again. Then he saw Firebrand's flame growing. _Let's not start a fire here._ "Iron Tail!"

Firebrand rushed towards Hypno, but stopped short. An unseen force held her in the air.

"Ironhide use Dig!" Vander released Ironhide as several drowsee appeared.

Ironhide immediately burrowed underground, leaving a large hole in the tall grass.

Staryu recovered and used Rapid Spin. It crashed into one of the drowsee, breaking its concentration.

Ironhide came up under a group of drowsee. His opponents had no time to dodge and were knocked out upon impact.

In that moment Vander rushed and tackled another drowsee.

Firebrand soon broke free with fewer drowsee holding her back, but Hypno sent her flying back with Psybeam. She recovered quickly and saw more drowsee emerge from the grass. Grabbing Vander, she carried him into the air.

Vander quickly recalled Staryu and Ironhide, and then shut his eyes as Firebrand flew him back to Saffron. _I hope her grip doesn't slip._

XXXOXXX

_A white feline-like pokémon appeared before him. It had a charcoal black face and a similar coloration on its paws. There was a dark, crescent moon shaped projection jutting out of the right side of its face._

_Vander remained transfixed as he saw the pokémon standing before him in the foggy forest. He approached it cautiously._

_The pokémon ran._

_Vander gave chase, but soon lost sight of it. He kept on a straight course and eventually found his way out of the forest._

_It had been waiting there for him and bounded off towards what looked like a tower. Vander followed and it led him to a set of gravestones located at the foot of the tower._

_Vander ignored the pokémon, suddenly compelled to stare at one of the gravestones. The fog suddenly grew thick, making it impossible to read the words on it. Suddenly, he was overcome with a feeling of dread._

Vander sat up in bed hyperventilating. His pulse had been sky high and his body was sticky with sweat. _Was my dream eaten?_ He looked to the window and saw light filtering through the curtains. _At least it's morning. I'd better get ready and pick up Vega._

He was at the lobby twenty minutes later, waiting for Nurse Joy to get his staryu.

"Your staryu checked out okay. There were no parasites or infections." She handed him the poké ball. "Did you come up with a nickname?"

"I'll call it Vega," Vander replied.

"It sounds nice, but why?"

"I'm not sure. I just remember visiting a planetarium in Viridian City. I think Vega was the name of a star. I'm not really sure, but I really like how it sounds."

She smiled and nodded. "Well as long as you both like it." Then she looked around the nearly empty lobby before asking, "You've only got a week and few days left before the finals. Will Vega be ready?"

"I'm not sure," Vander replied. "But it just needs to be there to help me qualify for the final round. My other pokémon can pick up the slack for now. I'll just help it work on its moves."

"That's a good a plan as any," Nurse Joy replied.

As Vander walked to their training spot to the north of Saffron he began recounting the dream. However his memories of it had faded. He only remembered chasing an unknown pokémon and finding a gravestone. He didn't even remember what the pokémon looked like, only that it was something he had not seen before.

He pushed all thoughts of the dream aside when he reached the city limits. To him, the north of Saffron was preferable because he had encountered the drowsee to the south. _I hope they don't track me here_, he thought, releasing his three pokémon.

Vega quickly accepted its new name. However Vander could only base this on the fact that it always responded when he used it. The starfish's emotions were still an enigma to him.

Firebrand and Ironhide had less trouble understanding their new teammate. Their behavior indicated that things were okay for now.

Vander instructed Firebrand and Ironhide to do their usual training. It consisted of mid air or underground exercises followed by short sparring matches.

"So let's see what your moves are. I already know about Rapid Spin, Water Gun and Swift. Is there anything else?"

Vega promptly stiffened up. Then it propelled itself into a nearby tree before making its body blend in with the trunks. After that its body began to glow gold for a few seconds.

Vander cupped his chin as he began processing what he had seen. "Let's see. That's Tackle and Harden, definitely. Then two move I don't recognize." He nodded. "Aright. Why don't you and I spar for a little while and we'll see how your moves work."

XXXOXXX

Firebrand kept her eyes sharp as the smoke began to clear.

Her opponent, an ampharos whom she towered over, ran out of the smoke. Its fist glowed yellow and sparked with electrical energy.

Training with Jeb paid off as Firebrand masterfully deflected the Thunder Punch before landing one final Flamethrower. The match ended as a her sizzling opponent fell backwards.

Vander smiled at the results, though it hid an underlying dread.

The preliminaries had been organized into four blocks and two trainers advanced from each. Monique, being the only other trainer from his block, was the only one who had actually seen Firebrand and Ironhide battling. In the current configuration they could only meet in the final round.

Having qualified for the quarterfinals, Vander returned to the trainer's room, located under the bleachers to his left. The room resembled a locker room with a TV screen that displayed the battle occurring in the stadium.

"You're being conservative as always," Monique said as they met inside the trainer's room. "It's a good thing the other guy didn't know your pokémon, otherwise your charizard might not have been able to sweep."

"I'm trying to save my other pokémon in case I need to surprise anyone."

Monique raised an eyebrow. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you only have two or three pokémon. As for me I've got more than three pokémon. The element of surprise is in what combination I'm using."

Vander nodded. _That's definitely the way to go._

They fell silent as the next round began. Vander took note of the pokémon both trainers used. The winner would be his next opponent.

The semifinal round took place on the evening of that same day. Vander ended up facing a boy about a year older than him.

Firebrand had beaten the opponent's golbat without much difficulty. However the boy's stantler was more challenging.

"Hypnosis!"

Stantler's eyes glowed light blue and its horns began emitting purple rings.

The attack caught Firebrand who was swooping in for a Wing Attack. She crashed to the ground. While she had not sustained significant damage, Vander chose to call her back.

"Your turn," he said, releasing Ironhide. He smiled as his opponent and Stantler took a moment to appraise the onix' size.

The boy quickly got over his shock. "Hypnosis!"

"Close your eyes!"

Ironhide shut his eyes, effectively blocking the Hypnosis.

"Keep your eyes closed. Pretend you're fighting underground!"

Ironhide nodded and soon he heard Stantler's hooves clopping on the ground. He could almost pinpoint where it was. Then the clopping stopped.

Stantler had leapt into the air and delivered a Jump Kick to Ironhide.

The move had little effect on his immense defenses. Ironhide reared up for an Earthquake. He heard more clopping and felt Stantler's hooves ram into one of his lower segments. Ignoring the damage, he brought his weight down and shook the stadium.

"Bind it!"

Ironhide failed to wrap around his faster foe.

"Use your Earthquake," Stantler's trainer said.

"Rock Polish!"

Stantler reared onto its hind legs and brought its front legs down hard. The resulting shockwave was noticeably weaker than Ironhide's, but would have done significant damage to a weaker pokémon.

Ironhide felt slight pain, but blocked it out as his body began glowing.

"Zen Headbutt!"

Stantler focused a lot of energy into its head and charged. Both its horns and the top of its head began glowing bright blue.

"Bind!"

Ironhide let the attack hit, flinching momentarily from the damage. He then twisted his body and brought his tail segments around Stantler. This time the deer pokémon was not fast enough to escape. After squeezing for a few minutes he dropped Stantler before knocking it out with an Iron Tail.

"Good job Ironhide," Vander said as he recalled the rock pokémon. After a brief handshake with his opponent he left the bare earth arena for the trainer room.

"I'll be seeing you in the final battle," Monique said as she walked past him for her semifinal match.

Vander watched her defeat the opponent with a kangaskhan after a hard fought battle. _So she's been to the safari zone._ Vander tried to use that to predict her other pokémon, but then realized the effort was futile. _I'd still be using the same three anyway._

Vander let his pokémon rest the next day while he planned his strategy. A single day was all the time he had before the final round match.

_Monique's pokémon are all very strong_, he thought worriedly. _Firebrand and Ironhide will have their hands full with any of them. Will Vega be able to pull its weight?_ He could only hope Vega had improved enough in terms of skill.


	7. Dream Eaters: Tournament's Conclusion

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon or have any rights to it.

* * *

The days were getting shorter in autumn, yet parents still felt safe letting their kids walk home alone from school. It wasn't without justification. Crimes rates were low and dropping in spite of rumors of new gang on the rise elsewhere.

Tall skyscrapers seemed to speed up the darkening as the day drew to a close. The boy still had plenty of light as he walked home from his after school club. He was only eight, but that was two years younger than the age when he could wander the world on his own. A couple blocks were child's play for him.

Several small figures had been lurking in the alleys to watch the boy. They remained hidden as more people passed. Then they saw him turning into an alleyway. This was their chance.

The boy stopped to tie his shoes. He then backed up to get ready to jump the fence at the end of the alley.

The chanting began.

He stopped and looked around. It was as if he were surrounded. A chill ran through him when he realized it wasn't human. _Never mind jumping the fence._ He turned to leave the alley.

Five drowsee blocked the boy's path. Their eyes glowed light blue and soon emitted blue rings.

Before he knew it, the boy fell into a lethargic state. His eyes became droopy and his movements seemed zombie-like. The drowsee began leading him.

First they went down into the sewers through a manhole. Then they followed through a well-rehearsed path that ran alongside the sewage water. The drowsee knew everything about the Saffron Sewer System; it was the lifeblood of their operation. Soon they reached the sewage treatment center, where the water was cleaned and pumped into the estuary. This was the most dangerous part of their journey.

The first two drowsee climbed a service ladder that took them to the maintenance channels of the treatment plant. The child followed them and the remaining three came up after him. They crept through the building with well-practiced stealth. Soon they reached the estuary where they would be safe.

The rest of the trip took them across the estuary to a spot directly north of Vermillion. Here they made camp and let the child fall asleep. When they sensed the child's dream, the drowsee licked their lips.

A larger figure emerged from the bush, pendulum in hand. He frowned, causing the drowsee to jump and apologize. _"I told you already. This child is not food. We have plenty more back at the cave."_ Hypno woke the boy and began leading him away. _"This one's soul belongs to her. That was our arrangement."_

The five drowsee nodded solemnly.

"_Make sure you remember that,"_ Hypno added before moving on.

XXXOXXX

Vander laid back in bed as he examined the crude sketch he had made on a blank notebook page. It was a feline figure with an object sticking out of its face. The dream had happened again and he was starting to remember parts, but the images were faint and fleeting. He set the notebook aside and got out of bed.

"Hyah!" Vega hopped up from its chosen spot at the foot of the bed.

It was hardly the company Vander had in mind.

Still, Vega could tell the boy felt happy to have at least one other being in the room with him. It was evident in the soft he spoke in. However the boy still insisted Vega stay in its ball while in the Pokémon Center lobby.

"Good morning Vega," Vander said when he emerged from the bathroom. "I had that dream again. I think I might remember more if I keep having it." He showed Vega the crude sketch he had made. "This is sort of what the pokémon looks like, and I also remember a tower and gravestones."

Vega's central gem began beeping and a flash of light accompanied each beep.

Vander frowned for a moment before sighing. "Sorry Vega, but I can't fully understand you yet. I'll have to work on that."

Vega did its version of a nod, bending its top leg forward as if to use Water Gun.

"Anyway, I think I'll ignore it until after the final battle tomorrow." He took some berries from his cooking pot and gave them to Vega. "Sorry, but I don't want to risk Monique seeing you downstairs. I want you to surprise her." _Assuming you have to battle._

Vega just nodded before turning around so Vander could feed it.

Once finished Vander went down to the lobby where Nurse Joy approached him.

Her face was creased with worry. "Are you going out to feed your pokémon again?"

Vander nodded.

"You should be very careful and avoid staying out late." She led him to her computer and turned the screen so he could see the news article. "People are being kidnapped here and the police aren't sure why."

Vander nodded, immediately remembering what Monique had told him. "Did anyone see what was doing it?"

Nurse Joy shook her head. "Nobody saw what did it."

"I'll be careful," Vander replied before leaving the center. He went out to where he had trained with his pokémon. Then he sent all three out.

Ironhide immediately dove down a hole he had made to feed. He would most likely emerge in an hour, through that same hole.

Vander soaked two servings of dehydrated meat with some berries he had found to make a stew for Firebrand. He didn't bother cooking it.

Once they had finished eating, the three pokémon gathered around Vander. "Alright everyone," he said after taking a deep breathe. "There's just one more battle to win for us to get that grand prize."

Firebrand and Ironhide nodded, while Vega remained seemingly emotionless.

"She'll be our toughest opponent yet and I know four of her pokémon are a golem, kangaskhan, poliwrath, and abra. I don't think we can prepare any more so all I can say is we need to rest up and be ready." He then looked directly at Vega. "This'll be your first major battle. I'm sure Firebrand and Ironhide can handle most of the work. You're main role will be to surprise her and take down her weakened pokémon."

Vega made a few beeps, its gem lighting up with each one. There was definitely a pattern to them. Based on Vander's expression, Vega could tell it was a mystery to him.

They stayed out a little while longer. Vander gave them all the information he knew about Monique and her pokémon and then reviewed all of the moves they knew. With nothing more to do, the four of them each tried to mentally prepare themselves in their own way.

XXXOXXX

Vander tried to control his heartbeat and breathing as he moved to his side of the bare-earth battlefield. The nerves weren't as bad as they had been in the first finals match, but he was hardly used to this kind of battling. Hopefully he would be over this when he reached the Indigo Plateau.

"The final round will be a three on three battle between Monique and Vander." The referee raised his both his flags.

The president of Silph Co, a plump man in a suit with vertical white stripes, sat with other important people a short distance behind the referee. He held a black poké ball with a gold central ring and button and a red ring around the top half. This would be the grand prize for the winner.

"Begin!" The referee swung his flags down.

"Swirls." Monique's poliwrath appeared in a flash of light.

"Ironhide." Vander took a deep breath as Ironhide emerged.

Swirls was not intimidated by his opponent's immense size. He started the battle with Bubblebeam.

"Rock Polish then Dig!"

Ironhide gritted his teeth as the bubbles began bursting against him. His entire body began glowing a bright white, and he burrowed underground before the glow faded.

Monique chuckled. "Just flush it out with Earthquake."

Poliwrath began jumping, generating an Earthquake each time it landed.

Ironhide refused to surface.

Vander also eyed the field.

Ironhide emerged after another Earthquake. He didn't look like he had taken significant damage.

"Earthquake!"

Ironhide began raising his body.

Monique smiled. "Use Ice Beam on the ground around it!"

Swirls produced of teal blue energy between his hands. Bolts of teal blue shot out of the ball and hit the ground around Ironhide's lowest segment.

"Ironhead to burrow!"

However, Ironhide had already committed to Earthquake, his second Rock Polish working against him. He slipped the moment his body hit the ice, but shifted his momentum and use Iron Tail.

Swirls leapt above the attacked, his fist glowing bright red.

Ironhide opened his mouth and used Screech.

Swirls flinched, his Dynamic Punch canceled. He then back flipped away from Ironhide's Rock Throw. The attack shattered the ice.

"Hydro Pump!"

Swirls crossed his arms and focused energy. Then he spewed a wide jet of water from the spiral on his belly.

"Iron Tail!"

Ironhide swung his metallic tail in the way of the attack. It canceled some of the power, but he still flinched from the damage.

"Earthquake!"

Swirls jumped and the slammed his body into the ground.

Ironhide flinched as the stadium shook.

Vander dropped to his knee. _This one's stronger than the last! _He frowned._ She'll probably try for another Hydro Pump. Ironhide needs to Bind it._

"Hydro Pump again!"

Vander's eyes widened. "Ironhead and push through it!"

Ironhide took a deep breath before plunging head first into the jet of water. The metallic glow around his head dulled some of the pain as he struggled through.

Monique's smile faded as Ironhide continued to push through. _Those defenses are insane! Where'd he get that thing?_ She noticed swirls sweating as Ironhide got closer. "Jump an use Dynamic Punch!"

Ironhide felt both shocked and relieved as the Hydro Pump ended. His momentum carried him forward and his head crashed into the spot where Swirls had been moments earlier.

Swirls' left fist glowed bright as his body came down.

Ironhide twisted his body and brought his glowing metallic tail up. His tail collided with the fist, and they both flinched from the damage. He had escaped Dynamic Punch's secondary effect.

Swirls landed and on his back. When he got up several rocky segments surrounded him and he was soon trapped in a Bind.

"Screech!"

Ironhide opened his mouth and let loose a burst of high-pitched sound.

Swirls shut his eyes and would have covered his ears if he could.

Monique frowned and watched carefully. She took note of Ironhide's condition. _Its definitely taken damage. I should call Swirls back the first chance I get. I might need him for Vander's charizard._

Ironhide eventually ran out of breath.

Swirls opened his eyes the moment the sound stopped and sprayed Bubblebeam up at Ironhide's face.

Ironhide roared in pain and let go. His pain let up when Vander called him back.

Monique smiled as she returned Swirls to his ball. _Looks like we both had the same idea. Knowing Vander, he'll use that charizard next._ She got another poké ball ready. "Rumbler!"

Her golem appeared in a flash of white light and grinned as he saw Firebrand appear.

_Great!_ Vander took a deep breath.

Firebrand took the initiative by flying into the air to evade a Rollout.

"Stay in the air. You'll be out of Golem's reach up there." It would at least give Vander time to think.

Monique rolled her eyes and smiled. "Use Rock Slide."

Vander raised an eyebrow. _Rock Slide? How is it going to do that?_ Then he gaped as white portals appeared in the air above Firebrand. "Metal Claw! Steel Wing! Iron Tail!"

Firebrand channeled metallic energy into her arms, wings, and tail just as rocks began falling out of the portals. She had her hands full smashing through falling boulders in an attempt to get above the portals. After a few minutes she swore they were ascending with her.

Vander also noticed. _That golem can summon Rock Slide whenever it wants. It can probably move the portals as well._ He looked at the rock-type and saw that it did seem to be moving the portal using hand gestures. "Firebrand! Don't try getting above them. You need to get back down and stop Golem!"

Firebrand responded by diving towards Rumbler, her claws were still glowing.

Rumbler quickly curled into a ball.

Firebrand rammed Metal Claw into his rocky hide. It had almost no effect. She quickly used Steel Wing to block an incoming rock, the last remnant of the Rock Slide.

Vander's relief was short-lived as Rumbler's limbs emerged from the ball and grabbed Firebrand's arm before throwing her to the ground. _It's setting up for another Rollout!_

Rumbler leapt a few feet back before curling back into a ball and rolling towards Firebrand.

She rolled onto her belly before reaching out with one arm to block with Metal Claw. A jolt of pain ran up her arm upon impact. Firebrand gritted her teeth, rolled onto her back, and held Rumbler above with both arms. Her flame was now double its normal size, the tongues whipping about wildly. Then she sent him sailing through the air with a powerful Mega Kick.

"Earthquake!"

Rumbler landed on his feet. The force of impact caused a shockwave.

Firebrand was shaking as she pushed up to stand. She turned just in time to see Rumbler barreling towards her. Her claws glowed with metallic energy as she caught the attack. Then she pinned Rumbler to the ground with one claw before repeatedly striking him with the other.

Rumbler remained curled up and his body began to get harder. Defense Curl made each successive attack less painful.

Firebrand gave up and backed away before using Fire Spin.

Rumbler began rolling as soon as he felt the claws lift. The flames surrounding him extinguished after a few rolls. However his target had taken to the air again.

Vander correctly predicted the Rock Slide and called for an Earthquake.

Firebrand slammed into the ground just as Rumbler uncurled.

The golem closed his eyes.

Firebrand took flight and rushed in to grab Rumbler's neck. Then she used Metal Claw with her other arm, landing an uppercut. Her opponent was still conscious. So she attacked again.

Rumbler felt his defense slowly slipping away. His eyes remained shut as Monique gave the next command.

"Rock Slide!"

Rumbler grabbed the claw on his neck and then the other as it came up to strike. With Firebrand pinned he began focusing. A portal soon formed above them.

Firebrand tried to break free, but Rumbler's grip was ironclad. Yellow flecks appeared in her flame until she had an idea and grabbed her opponent's arms. With a mighty heave she lifted Rumbler above her head to block the boulder's that fell from the portal.

Vander's eyes widened. _She's gotten much stronger!_ However the portal closed after a few seconds. _Keep up the pressure!_ "Flamethrower!"

Firebrand slammed Rumbler into the ground and used Flamethrower before he could withdraw. It had enough impact to free her from his grip. She then began hammering him with Metal Claw.

"Defense Curl!"

Firebrand felt Rumbler's body harden after he withdrew. She also noticed a notch forming on part of his shell. Focusing her strikes on that specific point, she began widening the notch.

Vander felt comfortable and then glanced at Monique. It looked like she was wracking her brain for ideas. _Rollout and Earthquake won't work because she's too close, Firebrand already showed how she can block Rock Slide and if this golem knew Stone Edge it would've already used it._ Then he saw Monique smile and realized her strategy. "Get away from Golem!"

"Explosion."

The orders came almost simultaneously.

Firebrand grabbed a glowing Rumbler and carried him into the air. She felt the heat building up as they ascended. Vander kept yelling at her to let go, but she kept her eyes fixed on the notch she'd made. When high enough, she let go and quickly landed another Metal Claw on the notch.

Rumbler's body was almost impossible to look at. The Metal Claw made contact just as the bright light reached its zenith, and then all the energy faded. The golem plummeted and made a small crater upon impact.

"Golem is unable to battle!"

"Return." Monique pulled out another poké ball. "Rem."

When he saw her kadabra, Vander briefly checked Firebrand before deciding to keep her in. "Smokescreen."

Rem's eyed glowed bright blue as she tried to stop Firebrand's attack.

In spite of any fatigue, Firebrand was too fast for Rem. She bathed the kadabra in a cloud of smoke.

"Light Screen!" However Monique's prediction was wrong.

Rem threw up a golden cube-shaped force field, only to get hit by Firebrand's Wing Attack. Then her head spun as Firebrand hit her with Metal Claw.

Monique recalled Rem.

Firebrand took a deep breath as Swirls came back out. Though her flame was not as big or vigorous as it had been during the battle with Rumbler, she gave Vander a nod to let her continue.

Swirls fired a Bubblebeam.

Firebrand leapt into the air to evade the attack and then countered with a Flamethrower.

Swirls ignored the damage and fired off a few more Bubblebeams.

Vander frowned. _It's too dangerous to get close, but Light Screen means we'll have to rely on physical damage._ "Earthquake!"

Monique grinned. "Bubblebeam!"

Swirls timed a jump so that he was off the ground when Firebrand landed, and then hit her with Bubblebeam. He then charged the stunned charizard with Dynamic Punch.

"Ember!"

Firebrand turned and flicked several fire pellets from her tail flame.

Swirls ignored the damage and landed a Dynamic Punch.

Firebrand blocked with Steel Wing and escaped the secondary effect. She countered with Slash, catching the poliwrath across the chest.

Swirls tensed up with pain as Firebrand threw him. He didn't have time to brace himself for Firebrand's Wing Attack. However he recovered fast enough to grab hold of her wing.

Monique beamed at the opportunity. "Ice Beam on that wing."

Vander saw the danger, but it was too late.

Soon a portion of Firebrand's wing was covered in ice and she was forced to land.

Swirls Mega Kicked her in the shin.

She flinched and then she used her own Mega Kick and nailed Swirls in the gut.

Swirls fought through the pain and did a back flip to gain distance. Then he focused his energy and let loose a Hydro Pump.

Firebrand was unable to dodge as the large jet of water nailed her in the gut. First she felt pain. Then as the attack ended the world became fuzzy and she felt lightheaded. Her tail flame shriveled to one third its normal size. She collapsed and blacked out.

"Charizard is unable to battle!"

"Return." Vander took a deep breath. Okay. _I've got Ironhide and Vega against her poliwrath and kadabra. They've both taken some damage and at least Vega's fresh._ He saw Monique recall Swirls and got out the Great Ball. _We can do this._ "Ironhide!"

Monique smiled. _He's still being conservative, but his onix has recovered quite a bit. Still, I have a feeling his third is not as strong as the other two. I'm sure Rem can weaken the onix enough for Swirls to finish the job._

Vander smiled when he saw Rem appear. "Earthquake!"

"Reflect!"

Ironhide's attack landed first, making Rem topple over. He then followed through with Rock Throw.

Rem slowed Ironhide's momentum with Psychic, but ultimately took significant damage as he landed on top of her.

"Get it off with Psybeam!"

Rem's glowing eyes emitted a stream of rainbow colored rings. Her opponent roared in pain and fell off her. She quickly used her psychic powers to float away and then surrounded herself in a spherical wall of white light.

_She used Reflect._ Vander frowned. _Now Ironhide's attacks will do less damage. Maybe he can stall this kadabra out._ "Burrow underground and use Rock Polish!"

"Psybeam again!"

Ironhide gritted his teeth as pain shot through him. He powered through it and burrowed underground. Then his body began glowing, and his speed increased.

"Stay away from the ground Rem, and be ready to use Psybeam!" That was all Monique could say. There was no way for Rem to flush out Ironhide.

Ironhide emerged and was flinched as another Psybeam struck him. He tried to swat Rem down with Iron Tail, but she floated out of reach.

"Return!" Vander took a deep breath. _She would have worn him down. I really hope she doesn't switch to her poliwrath when I do this._ "Vega!"

Monique smiled. _So his third pokémon is a staryu? I guess it covers his water weakness, but its nothing Swirls can't handle. That's assuming it gets through Rem._ "Alright use Psychic!"

Vega immediately leapt into the air and used Rapid Spin.

Rem had difficulty focusing on it long enough.

"Water Gun!"

Vega stopped spinning and shot a small jet of water from its top leg.

Rem countered with a Psybeam and quickly overwhelmed Water Gun.

Vega stopped its attack and used Rapid Spin to escape. However the Psybeam curved around and hit it in the back. Its gem began beeping as it fell to the ground.

"Psychic."

Vega was almost helpless as Rem flung it into the air.

"Swift!"

A stream of golden stars sprayed out of Vega's central gem.

It had a noticeable effect on Rem, making her flinch and letting starfish break free.

Vega then followed up with Rapid Spin and knocking Rem to the ground.

_Not good,_ Vander thought as he saw Rem standing back up. _Reflect and Light Screen really cut down the damage._

Monique smiled as Vega spun towards Rem for another Rapid Spin. "Psychic!"

Vega suddenly blended into the sky.

Rem's eyes widened as she began searching for Vega. Her sensory abilities only worked on humans and other psychic types. Vega was nigh invisible.

"Water Gun!"

Rem flinched as a small jet of water hit her. The Light Screen cut down the damage, but she lost track of Vega almost immediately. Then another Water Gun hit her from behind so she spun around and saw nothing.

Monique remained calm as Vega pelted her pokémon. Then she smiled and said, "Float higher and look down!"

Rem used Psychic to ascend. She looked down caught a glimpse of a strange glint in the sunlight. Her spoon bent as she hit the object with Psybeam.

Vega plummeted and struggled to stand.

"Use Rapid Spin! Keep moving!"

Rem was faster and trapped Vega with Psychic.

Vega sprayed a stream of golden stars from its gem. It broke free as Rem was forced to defend herself.

"Recover!"

A golden glow enveloped Vega's body.

Vander waited patiently until Rem ensnared Vega in another Psychic. He recalled Vega and sent Ironhide back out.

"Psybeam!"

Ironhide used Harden and the attack was noticeably weaker. He quickly burrowed underground and began using Rock Polish.

Rem was unable to reach him, but her trainer seemed confident. _I'll bet its using Rock Polish to build speed. We'll just use Psych Up when it comes out._

Several minutes passed before the ground began rumbling.

Rem Teleported and heard Monique call out for Psych Up.

Ironhide turned and used Screech. He then used Iron Tail.

"Use Teleport!"

However the Screech kept Rem in place. When it stopped she opened her eyes and looked up just in time to see the Iron Tail slam down on her.

"Kadabra is unable to battle!"

Monique frowned while returning Rem. _It learned from the last battle while in its poké ball._ She took note of Ironhide's panting. _It's definitely tired._ She smiled. _Swirls can definitely handle them both._

Vander took a deep breath as Swirls appeared. _Vega can't beat it. Not unless Ironhide can do more damage._ "Can you keep going Ironhide?"

His body was scratched up and his muscles felt slightly sore, but Ironhide nodded. It wasn't as bad as the beating Machamp had given him. He roared out a challenge to Swirls who flexed his muscles in response.

Vander's eyes widened. "He's Bulking Up! Use Earthquake!"

With his speed boosted by multiple Rock Polishes, Ironhide began using Earthquake before Monique or Swirls could respond.

The tremors knocked Swirls off balance and he was unable to stand.

_He has to be tiring._ Monique watched Ironhide carefully before checking on Swirls. "Sit tight Swirls!" That was all she could say.

Soil-like sweat poured down the side of his face. Ironhide's adrenaline fueled his constant assault. He noticed with dread that Swirls had figured out how to minimize the damage.

The poliwrath lay flat on the ground. He tried sitting up to fire a Bubblebeam, but the tremors knocked him onto his back. His fists clenched tightly as he wracked his brain for a way to escape.

Vander noticed Ironhide's energy slipping away. _Earthquake's keeping it pinned, but I'm not sure Ironhide can do enough damage before he tires out._ He took a deep breath. "Rock Throw!"

_That's it!_ Monique grinned. "Ice Beam!"

Ironhide ceased his Earthquakes and sprung into the air.

Swirls sat up and formed a ball of teal energy between his hands. He maintained focus as Ironhide landed on him. He froze most of Ironhide's middle segments with Ice Beam. Then he pushed the onix off and stood shakily.

"Finish with Hydro Pump."

Ironhide broke free of the ice only to take a direct hit. He felt dizzy and blacked out shortly after collapsing.

"Onix is unable to battle!"

Vander recalled Ironhide and then looked carefully at Swirls.

Swirls was panting and his body was bruised. He clutched his gut after feeling a sharp pain there.

Vander saw it. _He's definitely injured._ He sent Vega out. "Vega. Her poliwrath's weakened so just try attacking from a distance."

"Can you run?"

Swirls nodded to Monique before charging towards Vega, Dynamic Punch ready.

Vega pelted him with Swift. At first the attack did little to slow him down. However the damage suddenly increased.

Vander smiled. _Her Light Screen's worn off._ "Keep it up and try to focus on the same spot!"

_Swirls can't focus to make a Hydro Pump or Ice Beam. Bubblebeam won't get through that Swift and a head on charge won't work anymore._ Monique's frown deepened as Swirls stumbled backward. "Alright. Try to punch your way through!"

Swirls raised his arms to block and began striking at the stars as they came. He only canceled out a few hits, but it was enough to noticeably reduce the pain. Then he noticed the stars becoming less frequent.

"It's running out of energy! Now's your chance!"

"Vega used Rapid Spin to get higher!"

Vega needed more time to rest once after the Swift barrage.

Swirls tried to land a Dynamic Punch, but the red energy around his fist fizzled out before making contact.

The blow sent Vega flying back several feet. It was still able to move, but clumsily so.

"Can you continue?" Unfortunately, Vander lacked the skills to interpret Vega's response. All he had to go on were the staryu's actions.

Vega's body began to glow bright gold. Then when it sensed Swirls approaching, it began using Rapid Spin.

Swirls waited for Vega to get close and then landed a double fisted smash to its gem.

Vega needed time to push off the ground, but its opponent was standing nearby. Then Vega noticed a bruise on his belly spiral. As Swirls raised a fist, Vega mustered up enough strength for another Swift and hit the bruise area.

Swirls stumbled back, clutching his belly. He saw Vega recovering, but immense pain shot through him when he tried to stop it. After a few seconds of hearing Monique's shouts of encouragement, he willed himself forward.

Vega's body stopped glowing, then it suddenly shot off the ground and landed another blow to his opponent's bruised abdomen. It landed gem down, feeling as of the ground was shaking. Vega slowly propped itself up on two legs and saw Swirls lying face down a few feet away.

"Poliwrath is unable to battle." The referee raised the flag on Vander's side. "Staryu is the winner and Vander wins the match!" The crowd erupted into cheers at that.

With a sigh of relief, Vander fell onto his rear and paused a moment before recalling Vega. His heart had been racing and he couldn't speak for several minutes as he tried to control his breathe. _It's over._ That was his most prominent thought.

Monique recalled Swirls and collapsed moments later. _That was great._ She looked over at Vander and smiled. _I'll have to look out for him at the League._

Both trainers were on their feet a few minutes later, receiving their prizes from the Silph Co president.

"This is for honoring us with your participation and giving our audience a good show." He gave Monique a moon stone. Then he turned to Vander. "And this is the grand prize, a luxury ball containing our rare prize pokémon. Cherish it and remember your time here."

The president left the pair and they returned to the Pokémon Center where Nurse Joy was waiting.

Two beings watched them from atop one of the skyscrapers.

Hypno frowned, his eyes locking on Vander. _"The boy? He's the one?"_

"_Yes,"_ replied a shadowy figure hovering nearby.

"_Is it because he won?"_

The shadow shook its head. _"That's not it. It's more to do with his heart, the experiences, and the underlying anger. He'll provide her with excellent nourishment. At the very least he'll make for a better meal than that other boy you brought me earlier."_

Hypno nodded. _"He'll be tough to take down and I doubt we'll get a chance until his pokémon are healed."_

"_Perhaps you should have expanded your operation northwards. You could have caught him during his training. In any case, those pokémon might be strong, but that's all they appear to be. Surely you can find a way around their power."_

Hypno felt a nervous chill at the end of that last sentence. _"I assure you, we will bring him to you."_

"_You'd better not fail us,"_ it replied before fading away.

Hypno let out a sigh of relief when the shadow's presence had faded fully. Sometimes he wondered if the deal was worth it, but then he reminded himself. _She's our only defense against them. Without her…that…group will reign unchallenged._


	8. Dream Eaters: A New Job

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon or have any rights to it.

* * *

Vander was grinning as he strode through the streets of Saffron City towards his usual training spot. He would check out tomorrow.

Nurse Joy had suggested he take an extra day to befriend his new pokémon.

He released his other three pokémon into the open field they had trained in.

Ironhide was about the dive underground when Vander stopped him.

"Wait until I introduce the new guy," he said before getting out the luxury ball.

Vega stood a few feet away from Vander, waiting patiently.

Vander couldn't tell what, if any, emotions he was feeling. Though he was improving, if only a little.

At least he knew when Vega was hungry or in pain. That was all it cared about for the moment.

Vander looked from the starfish to Firebrand and Ironhide, who were looming over him.

Ironhide's mouth had curved into a big grin and his eyes were open wide.

Firebrand's emotions were less evident on her face, but her tail flame flicked around vigorously.

_At least I know they're excited._ "Here we go," he said with a deep breath before releasing the unknown pokémon from its ball.

The white light materialized into a small, brownish furry mass curled up in a ball. It stirred and soon revealed itself as a small brown feline with beady black eyes and fairly long thin ears. A collar of lighter brown fur adorned its neck.

"An eevee?" Vander grinned as he knelt before the feline. "A male eevee." He could tell once the eevee stood up to stretch.

Eevee looked up at the boy with a smile, swishing his tail excitedly. He wasted little time in sniffing Vander's hand before giving it a playful nudge. Then he noticed the shadows around him. Looking up, he froze at the sight of the two large pokémon smiling down at him.

"They won't hurt you," Vander said. He beckoned the little pokémon to come to him.

Eevee bounded into his new trainer's arms and buried his snout in Vander's shoulder.

"I think he's intimidated by you two," Vander said to Firebrand and Ironhide. Then he pointed to a nearby berry-laden tree. "Firebrand. Maybe you can feed him berries to calm him down."

Firebrand nodded and approached the tree. She only plucked a few berries, being unequipped to hold a significant number.

Ironhide received a nod from Vander and dove underground.

"You hungry?"

Eevee looked up at the human and nodded before turning to look at Firebrand apprehensively. His face scrunched up at the sight of the berries in Firebrand's hands. He wanted them, but also wanted to avoid her.

"She's not going to eat you or hurt you," Vander said. _At least I can interpret her emotions._ He then looked over at Vega, who seemed content in watching this play out. _Maybe he'll warm up to Vega faster._

Eevee began to squirm when Firebrand got closer with the berries. Vander set him down so he could cower behind the boy's leg. Looking up from behind Vander's ankle, he held his breath as the boy received the berries from Firebrand.

"Thank you." Vander gave her a nod before looking down at the stiff feline.

Firebrand decided to walk away and lie down near the trees. While she was flat on her belly and almost motionless, her eyes remained opened and trained on Vander and Eevee.

Vander knelt so Eevee could partake of the berries. He avoided sudden movements as the feline sniffed the berries in his hand.

Eevee's nose crinkled as he caught the scent of the red berries. Against his better judgment, he decided to take a bite. He spat the chunk out almost immediately, his eyes watering. Then he looked up to the Vander's face and shook his head.

Vander noted Eevee's ears drooping as he opened his mouth to speak. "I'm not mad at you."

Eevee perked up a little.

"I guess you don't like these kinds of berries. Firebrand just got the ones she knew she liked. We should gather a bunch and see which ones you like." He looked over at Firebrand.

She nodded flew off to collect more.

Eevee watched her fly off, slightly taken aback that a creature of her size could fly. He watched her, staring longingly at the sky. If only he had wings.

"She'll be back soon," Vander said, reaching down to pet the feline. "We'll find out what you like. This place has many different kinds of berries and if you like one, I can usually figure out what others you'll like as well."

He leapt onto the boy's shoulder and gave him a playful lick on the cheek.

Vander smiled before responding with a scratch behind the ears. Then he remembered Vega and turned to see that it had remained motionless the entire time. "Hey Vega. Why don't you come over here so I can introduce you?"

"Hyah!" Vega hopped over to the pair. However it remained almost motionless upon reaching them.

Eevee hopped off Vander's shoulder and began circling the starfish. It remained motionless as he sniffed periodically. His eyes eventually rested on Vega's jewel.

Vega suddenly made the gem beep and flash.

Eevee almost immediately jumped and began squeaking excitedly. He almost looked like a laughing baby.

Vander began to chuckle. _That's a clever way to break the ice. Vega's a lot smarter than I thought._ He looked up and soon saw Firebrand returning.

She carried six different berries, one impaled on each claw. Firebrand landed several feet away to avoid spooking Eevee. Vander beckoned her to approach them and she walked slowly, keeping her wings folded to appear less imposing.

Eevee stiffened up, but seemed less concerned than before. Perhaps it was because Vander and Vega were completely at ease.

"Thank you Firebrand." Vander plucked the berries from her claws and laid them out in front of Eevee. Then he gave Firebrand the berries she had brought earlier.

Eevee approached the berries and sniffed each once before trying the one that smelled best. It was a pearl white berry with pink spots and a shape similar to a strawberry. To him it had a minty flavor.

Vander smiled when he saw Eevee devouring the first berry. A dark purple berry with orange spots was the next to go. _Eevee definitely liked the first one better._ Vander noted something similar with two other varieties and the remaining two were sound rejections.

Vega gladly gobbled the last two berries. They were varieties it enjoyed.

Vander pulled a small notebook and pen out of his pocket and flipped to an empty page. He began noting the kind of berries Eevee enjoyed most.

Eevee soon approached Firebrand and began sniffing her. While large, she seemed more like a gentle giant, and he was grateful for the berries.

Firebrand kept still and let the feline sniff her to his heart's content.

Once satisfied, he began nuzzling her. Though he soon stopped due to her rough scaly hide. Then he felt the ground rumbling, and began glancing at the other three. They all seemed calm.

Ironhide emerged from a hole several feet away from the others. His belly was full with soil and he looked forward to seeing how the other three were getting on with the new guy.

While Firebrand had been seemed giant to him, Ironhide was an order of magnitude larger. If he wasn't in between three people he now trusted, Eevee might have bolted at the sight of the onix.

"This is Ironhide." Vander picked up Eevee and slowly carried him towards Ironhide. He felt the feline stiffen, as they got closer. "Don't worry. Ironhide's one of us. He won't hurt you."

Though the boy sounded reassuring, Eevee remained stiff as a board as they got closer to the rock snake.

Like Firebrand, Ironhide remained still so that Eevee could sniff him.

The scent perplexed him. Vander had had a familiar mammalian smell, while Vega's scent had been salty like the ocean. Firebrand's scent was something he couldn't place, but she at least smelt alive. However, Ironhide had almost no smell to speak of.

Ironhide let out a low growl to say hello.

It startled Eevee, but he quickly calmed down. He would expect a larger pokémon to make a deeper sound. When Ironhide offered to let him stand on his head, Eevee happily agreed. With his feline reflexes, he had little trouble balancing as Ironhide lifted him higher into the air.

"How's the view?"

Eevee chirped happily as he scanned the area around him. He guessed he could see at least a mile away.

XXXOXXX

Nurse Joy had given Eevee a full checkup later that day. She also told Vander that Eevee could use Tackle, Sand Attack, Tail Whip, and Growl.

With that knowledge in mind, Vander decided he would start training Eevee in Vermillion, his next destination. His first priority was finding a name and getting him acclimated.

After staying the night they left the center in the morning. The walk to Vermillion would be at least two-day journey so they would be camping out along Route 6. Vander picked a clearing where an old tree had fallen.

Eevee had been traveling outside the ball with him. The feline had alternated between balancing on Vander's head or shoulders and trotting alongside him. He was far too energetic to remain in the ball for long.

Not that Vander minded. It felt refreshing having another pokémon traveling alongside him. In a few minutes, he had Firebrand out to clear the area for the campsite. "We'll aim to reach Vermillion tomorrow."

Firebrand nodded before using a small controlled puff of flame to start a campfire. She couldn't help smiling when Eevee bounded over to gaze at the flames.

Seeing a campfire was a new experience. The scent was fascinating, but the smoke soon drove him away. He began bounding around the camp to watch Vander and Firebrand set things up.

Ironhide and Vega emerged once the ground had been cleared.

Though it was slightly cramped Ironhide was still able to burrow underground. He would sleep with most of his body submerged making space a non-issue.

Vega remained off to the side, still as a statue. As always he would wait patiently until Vander brought him berries to drilled him through practice.

Firebrand didn't need her trainer's drilling. He had no new moves to help her with so she just took to the air. She dove, looped, and twirled a few times before using her other moves.

The training exercises excited Eevee and he began bounding around the clearing.

Vander chuckled at the scene. _He's so energetic, like Firebrand was when she was younger. I'm guessing this Eevee is less than a year old._ After finishing Vega's last drill he retrieved the berries he had packed from his backpack and distributed them between Vega and Eevee.

Firebrand landed a short while later to receive her daily ration of meat.

Vander noticed Eevee looking up at the sky periodically as the sun began setting. The feline only briefly lost interest when Ironhide's head resurfaced. Once he had gotten over the fact that the rock snake slept mostly underground Eevee went back to watching the sky.

The first stars began to appear as the sun dipped fully below the horizon. These were the brightest stars. They had been used for maritime navigation in ancient times.

Eevee seemed enthralled by them. His energy was contained as he stood still, his eyes glued to the sky. As more stars appeared his grin broadened.

The others also took notice. Vega and Ironhide lost interest and began to sleep, but Firebrand got up and offered to fly Eevee so he could see the stars from the air.

Vander's eyes widened. "Hold on." He sprang to his feet and ran up to them. "I think you should wait a little before taking anyone up in the air with you."

Firebrand sighed and shook her head before glancing apologetically at the perplexed feline. She had been a charizard for at least a month and her trainer still refused to ride her. First it was because she was still getting used to the form, then it was because he wanted the experience of walking. Part of her wanted to just grab him and shoot up into the stratosphere so he could see firsthand how much she had improved.

Eevee was more confused than disappointed. Vander had reacted so quickly. It was strange since Firebrand looked like an excellent flyer. Was it because he lacked arms to hold on during flight?

Vander let out a sigh. _Crisis averted._ "So now that we're settled in. I think you should have a nickname like the others."

Eevee almost immediately forgot about flying. His energy resurfaced as he began hopping with excitement.

Vander sat down and closed his eyes. He likes the stars, and I think he wants to fly. _Maybe Stratos? No, that only works if he's flying-type. How about…Cosmo?_ His face brightened up. "Does Cosmo sound good?"

He nodded before bounding around the campsite. This lasted for a few more minutes before he was tired. His eyes returned to the sky as he lay down next to his trainer.

Vander smiled and gave him an affectionate scratch behind the ear before lying down and looking at the stars. "Goodnight Cosmo."

XXXOXXX

"Tackle." Vander tried not to sound frustrated. Cosmo had only been with him two days and he didn't want to sour their relationship so soon.

It wasn't that Cosmo refused to listen. He had no problems with Growl, Tail Whip or Sand Attack. Cosmo just refused to use Tackle, shaking his head whenever Vander called for it.

Vander gave up after the last attempt. With a sigh, he turned to look at the other three.

Ironhide was smashing rocks with Iron Tail and Rock Throw. Soon he would begin his training for Rock Slide. Vander would need to help out for it.

Firebrand had no new moves to learn so she practiced alone in the air. She had developed a well-rehearsed routine of physical moves, not unlike the katas practiced by martial artists. They mainly consisted of Metal Claw, and Steel Wing with the occasional Iron Tail. She would also mix in her fire moves occasionally.

Vega was firing off Water Gun and Swift alternately. It still needed Vander's guidance for practicing its other moves.

Turning back to Cosmo, Vander shook his head. "We can talk about your training later. For now, I'm going to help Vega train."

Cosmo's ears drooped.

Vander noticed this and knelt in front of the little cat to rub his head. "I'm not mad at you." _Not much anyway._ "I'm just…I guess I don't why you won't use Tackle."

Cosmo's ears remained droopy.

"I'm not going to force you to battle if it makes you uncomfortable."

Cosmo's ears perked up a little, prompting Vander to end their conversation.

After the training, Vander sat with Cosmo and Vega in their room at the Pokémon Center. Their supplies were laid out on the bed to be organized.

"We're mostly well stocked, but I'll need to buy some more meat for Firebrand soon and a brush to groom you Cosmo." Vander then checked his wallet and nodded. "Yep. I'll need to get another job."

Cosmo raised an eyebrow and even Vega let out a few sudden beeps. As far as they knew, training was his job, even if he never got paid for it.

With their supplies repacked, Vander headed out towards the docks. This was where Vermillion's biggest industries were headquartered and the most likely place to find work.

The Mistralton Cargo Company was of particular interest. They had been Molly's clients for years, and she regularly set aside entire fields for them. Based in Unova, they imported all kinds of berries that couldn't be found over there.

However, finding them in the maze of containers and warehouses was a daunting challenge.

Cosmo's eyes darted back and forth, taking in all the new stimuli as he rode on his trainer's shoulder. Some instinct told him to stay close in this place. It didn't feel as safe as the forest or the city especially with all the large muscular pokémon.

As they walked, Vander consulted a city map and brochure he had picked up at the Center. "Let's see. It's a company that uses large amphibious aircraft. We should be in the South Docks instead of the East Docks."

That was also where shipments bound for Unova departed anyway.

As they weaved through the warehouses and steered clear of the heavy machines, Vander and Cosmo received odd looks from the workers. It was not unlike what Vander and Firebrand received at Pewter City.

Eventually, a tall and lean man with a big hooked nose approached them. He was wearing a hard hat and looked like he knew the area well. "Hey kid," he said in a deep voice. Vander could tell he was trying to soften it up. "Are you lost or something? You really shouldn't be wandering around here."

"I want to be here, but I need some directions." Vander told the man he was looking for the Mistralton Cargo Company. "I really want to go work for them. I need the money."

"You don't have money?" The man raised an eyebrow as his gaze turned to Cosmo. "How'd you get that eevee?"

"I won him at a tournament in Saffron City. I'm a pokémon trainer."

"That explains a lot." However he then shook his head. "Look kid. I know you probably think winning that tournament means your pokémon are super strong, but there are people here who'll still come after you because you're a kid. Are you sure you want to come here to work."

Vander nodded. "Please tell me where it is. I know it's dangerous, but I really need more money."

"Why not become a waiter. There are probably a few beachside restaurants that are hiring." Then he remembered that it was past peak season.

"I'm also a trainer, so I want my pokémon to get stronger. I was thinking that they could help move the containers around. They're bigger than my eevee."

The man took a deep breath. "Fine kid. I'll tell you where they are. Just don't be surprised if you're not hired."

XXXOXXX

There were several amphibious planes docked near the MCC Warehouse. It was easily identified by the company's propeller-shaped logo stamped over the entrance and along the walls. There were muscular men, machoke, and gurdurr moving freight between the warehouse and aircraft.

"Alright." A man with light brown hair and blue eyes tapped a clipboard. There were four others in front of him. "We'll be sending two trucks out to our suppliers for the next shipment. Normally I'd send you in pairs, but I need someone here to watch over my daughter."

Their faces fell. One of them cleared his throat. "Um…Sir. Couldn't you watch over her?"

Their boss shook his head, but gave them a sympathetic look. "Normally she'd be at home with her mom, but she's busy and I have too much work to do. I just need one of you to watch over her for the day."

They all gave him uncertain nods.

He sighed. "So which one of you will it be? You can discuss it, but I don't have all day."

The four men huddled.

"You do it."

"Me? Why?"

"I covered for you when-"

"I get it, but I also watched her last time."

"You're the expert then."

"Shut up."

Their boss rubbed his forehead as his workers bickered. Then he noticed a boy a little over ten years old with an eevee on his shoulder approaching them. "Are you lost?"

Vander looked up at the man and smiled. "Actually I came here looking for work."

The boss raised an eyebrow, and his four employees stopped their bickering to stare. "Is this some kind of joke? I don't have time to babysit kids. I have a tight schedule to keep so if that's all you came here to tell me than you can turn around and leave." His tone grew harsher with each word.

_Did I come at a bad time?_ Though slightly taken aback, Vander quickly moved on and released Firebrand.

Firebrand looked around and her nostrils soon caught scent of the saltwater. One look at the men told her all she needed to know about why they were here.

"That's a pretty impressive charizard kid," said the boss. "I've never seen one before in person, but we've got plenty of strong pokémon to help with manual labor." He gestured to the machokes and gurdurrs.

One of the workers smiled as he hatched an idea. "Um hey boss."

"What?"

"Maybe this kid could watch your daughter."

The boss answered almost immediately. "Out of the question." He was frowning when he looked back and Vander, but his gaze lingered longer on Firebrand. _It is a pretty strong looking pokémon, and the kid looks like he could be a competent trainer._

The worker seemed to catch on to his boss's train of thought. "You just need someone to look out for your daughter right? I'm sure he has a bunch of pokémon he can entertain her with."

Turning back to the worker, he said, "We don't even know him. I'm not going to trust a complete stranger with my daughter."

Vander, who had been following the conversation thus far, decided to speak up. "Um sir. I think I might know someone who can vouch for me. I know that you do business with a berry grower named Molly."

The boss cupped his chin. "Molly…she sounds familiar. Does she live west of Viridian City near the mountains bordering Western Kanto?"

Vander smiled. "Yes and I worked for her before I set out. She can tell you all about me."

He nodded. "Alright kid. Come with me and I'll call her to see if your story checks out." He turned to the other four. "The rest of you prep the trucks, and I want you to decide who'll watch my daughter in case his story doesn't add up."

Vander recalled Firebrand and followed the man to a videophone located on the side of the warehouse. After finding Molly's number in his pocket phonebook, he called her up.

Molly's face brightened noticeably when she saw Vander. "Yes I know him. I am his legal guardian. Also, the famous Professor Oak has entrusted him with one of his pokémon, a charizard."

The boss smiled and nodded. "Ah. Yes, I've seen that charizard." He thanked her before turning the call over the Vander so he could talk with Molly.

She immediately took note of Cosmo. "You got a new pokémon?"

Vander nodded. "I won him in a tournament at Saffron City. I also caught a staryu." _Better not tell her where._

"So you're trying to find work with the Mistralton Cargo Company? You know I could just send you some money."

"Thanks, but I really want to earn it myself."

Molly rolled her eyes and nodded. "Fine. Just don't overdo it."

They said goodbye and the call ended.

The boss seemed to accept him after that. He began leading Vander to his office. "I'm convinced you can be trusted, but I want you to stay near this area. Your first task will be watching my daughter. She's probably a year or two younger than you."

"Does she get into trouble a lot?"

The boss hesitated at the door to his office. "Well…she can be a handful. She's got a lot of energy and normally she'd be at home, but her mother's sick and can't look after her." He paused. "Just try not to let her overwhelm you."

"I'll try," Vander replied, trying not to sound unsteady.

The boss opened the door and they entered the office.

At the far end, near the window, there was a desk with a computer and several papers on it. A swivel chair was placed between the desk and window. The only other piece of furniture was the sofa with wooden armrests lined against the left wall.

A little girl with short brown hair and big blue eyes sat on the couch. She had a propeller-shaped pin holding a tuft of her hair in a sort of pseudo-ponytail. Her slumped posture indicated boredom.

A small blue duck-like pokémon sat next to her. Unlike her, it seemed to be in a sort of daze. It had not moved since assuming that posture.

Both occupants perked up as the office door opened.

"Daddy!" The girl bounded off the couch and leapt into her father's arms. "Is your work finished yet?"

"No dear," he replied.

Before he could go on, the girl's eyes fell on Vander. She gave him and ear-to-ear grin before leaping out of her father's arms and landing on her feet in front of him.

Vander almost fell on his back. He had expected her to land on top of him.

"Hi," she said in a high-pitched voice. "I'm Skyla. Who are you?" The speed of her words implied she was either hyper or high on sugar.

"I'm Vander," he replied as he stood up.

"I hired Vander to watch over you for the day."

She seemed so excited that she began hopping, not unlike Cosmo. "He's a kid like me."

"I know," her dad replied. "His pokémon are strong so he'll be able to protect you. Just make sure you stay near the docks." He walked past Vander to the door. "I need to check a few things, but I'll be in here for most of the day." He turned to look directly at Vander. "Come find me if something happens. Okay?"

"Okay," Vander replied.

Once they were alone Skyla immediately turned to the couch where Cosmo had been examining the duck. Her eyes brightened and she bounded over to the couch and scooped Cosmo into her arms. "It's! So! Cute! What is it?"

"It's a boy eevee," Vander replied.

"Eevee! Even its name is cute!" She began squeezing harder, making Cosmo squirm with discomfort.

The duck, which had been still as a statue, sprang to life. It delivered a light peck to Skyla's head.

"Oops." She let go, and Cosmo scampered over to Vander and hid behind him. She looked over to Vander with a slightly apologetic face. "Is he scared?"

"Just nervous because you squeezed him too hard." Vander picked Cosmo up and stroked his fur gently. It seemed to relax Cosmo. "He'll be fine."

Her mood shifted back almost immediately. "Okey dokey!" Then she suddenly looked pensive as she stared at him. "Daddy said you had strong pokémon, but he doesn't look very strong."

"My other pokémon are strong," Vander replied. "I can show you them outside."

Skyla zipped over to him in second before grabbing his arm and pulling him towards the door. While she wasn't stronger than him, he was still taken aback by how forcefully she pulled for someone her size. She was both shorter and skinnier than him, and at least a year younger than him.

Cosmo and the duck followed after them.

Once they had found a clear spot, Vander released his three other pokémon.

Skyla's reaction was unexpected. She wasted no time in running over to them. "They're so BIG!" She turned and grabbed Vega, staring into its gem. "Shiny!" After setting it back down she began bounding around the two larger pokémon.

Ironhide kept his lower body still and glanced around to try and follow her.

Firebrand was grinning, most likely out of amusement. She didn't worry when Skyla began touching her tail flame. It was currently inert.

Vega remained still and unreadable to Vander.

Cosmo breathed sigh of relief that the girl's energy was no longer directed towards him.

Skyla scrambled up Ironhide's body and peered down from his head. "The two big ones look really strong! What are they?"

Vander took a deep breath. "The one you're sitting on is an onix and the red one is a charizard. The one with the shiny gem is a staryu."

"Staryu, onix, and charizard." She paused for a few seconds. "Oh! In Unova we have a bridge called the Charizard Bridge!"

"Oh…I had no idea." Then Vander remembered the duck that was standing next to him. It hadn't moved since they stopped outside. _Just like Vega_, he thought. "Um. What is this pokémon?"

"Ducklett. She's a girl, and I call her Bill. Do your pokémon have names too?"

Vander nodded and told her the names. She seemed to memorize them almost instantly. _She's not stupid._ Vander smiled. _But her energy, and that voice…could be problems._

XXXOXXX

"Why not?" Skyla's began pouting. She didn't take kindly to being refused an opportunity to fly. The workers around them seemed used to her antics and had somehow managed to tune it out.

"Because…Even I don't fly on Firebrand. She's only been a charizard a few months and I don't think either of us are ready to fly on her."

Skyla's gaze fell on Firebrand who was rolling her eyes. "We have to start sometime. She looks strong."

"But what if you fall off or something happens or…" Vander trailed off in an attempt scrounge up a convincing argument.

"My Grandpa lets me fly on his pokémon," Skyla huffed. "I can handle-" Then it occurred to her and she grinned at Vander. "You're a scardy cat."

"I…what?"

"You're scared of flying on Firebrand."

Now that he thought about it, he had never once flown on a pokémon. The exception had been when Professor Oak's charizard, Firebrand's mother, rescued him from a fall. Since then he had refused any opportunity to fly.

Skyla grabbed Vander's arm and began dragging him towards Firebrand. "Come on. Let's fly together."

"No! Wait! Your dad said to stay here."

"He won't mind as long as we come back."

"No!" Vander pulled his arm free.

Skyla resumed pouting. "Just one time. We'll go up for a minute and then come back down. I promise." She saw an almost imperceptible twitch in him and latched onto it immediately. Grabbing his arm she resumed pulling him towards Firebrand. "You'll see. Flying is really fun. I'll teach you everything I know."

"You're an expert."

"No, but Grandpa says I'm good at it."

Cosmo ran past them and hopped onto Firebrand's shoulder. Skyla might have scared him at first, but now she was his ticket to riding on Firebrand.

"See. Even Cosmo thinks its good idea." She pulled him with a renewed vigor and managed to drag him over to Firebrand, who wasted no time in hoisting them onto her shoulders.

"Wait." Vander took Ironhide and Vega's poké balls from his front pants pockets and transferred them to the zipped cargo pockets. "Just making sure they won't fall." He then took a deep breath and settled in behind Skyla.

She looked like a natural when it came to flying types. First she checked to make sure both Cosmo and Vander were securely seated around Firebrand's shoulders. Then she said, "We'll only be able to ride like this while we're kids. Grandpa said there a different riding pose for adults because they're bigger."

"That makes sense," Vander replied uneasily. He took a deep breath. _I can do this. I've fought Honchkrow and Machamp, and I've got three badges. I can do this._

"Everyone ready?" Her pause was too short for anyone to answer. "Good!" She told Firebrand to take off. "Wee!"

They were soon shooting through the air, gaining altitude every second.

Vander didn't share her enthusiasm. He held onto Skyla like she was his lifeline. His eyes were shut tight, so he only knew that they were shooting up almost vertically. _I hope Cosmo's doing okay at the front._ After a few minutes he dared to open his eyes when he felt them leveling off.

"See. There's nothing to worry about."

Skyla and Cosmo were both admiring the view. They were soaring above the Vermillion skyline, at least a thousand feet above ground.

Vander wanted to close his eyes and not think about it, but once he saw the view he couldn't look away. _This fall could kill us._ He maintained a tight grip on Skyla with his arms and on Firebrand with his legs.

Skyla chuckled and waved to Ducklett as she flew alongside them. "How are you feeling Cosmo?"

Cosmo nuzzled her and smiled.

"How about you Vander?"

"It looks nice, but I'm ready to get down now." Then his eyes widened. _Uh-oh!_

"You heard him Firebrand. Nose dive!"

Vander shut his eyes and fought the urge to scream as they plunged towards the ground. _Why do I get the feeling Firebrand's enjoying this?_

Fortunately they leveled off before they could crash.

Vander only felt confident enough to open his eyes when he was sure Firebrand had touched down.

Skyla slid off Firebrand, brimming with energy. "Wasn't that fun?"

Cosmo apparently agreed as he bounded off Firebrand and began running around them excitedly.

Vander got down slowly and sighed with relief when his feet touched ground. His heart was racing and it took him a minute to bring his breathing under control.

Firebrand smiled and placed a hand on the boy's shoulder.

"I'm still scared of flying," Vander said.

"We'll change that," Skyla replied. She began hopping. The grin on her face indicated a plan. "I'll be here with daddy for a few weeks so I'll teach you not to be scared."

Vander looked at Firebrand who was giving him a pleading look. _Well it would make her happy, and make Cosmo happy since I could take him with me. Flying would allow us to move between cities faster and I'll need fewer supplies then._ There was also the fact that he had survived his first flight on Firebrand and judging by her speed she could definitely handle the weight. "Fine. I'll do it, if your dad is okay with that."

"He won't mind," she replied as if it were a non-issue. "My family runs a flying type gym in Mistralton City. Grandpa's the gym leader now and daddy knows that I want to be gym leader too."

"Okay, but we should still ask."

"Great! Let's go now!" In seconds she had his arm firmly in her grasp and was pulling him towards her father's office with Ducklett and an excited Cosmo trailing behind.

Firebrand smiled as the group disappeared into the warehouse. As she waited for them to come out, she decided to look around.

Workers were busy tending to their duties. There were a few ships coming in to dock and other ships having their cargo unloaded. Most people here seemed to use fighting types to move cargo to and from the warehouses. Large cranes were used to move the larger containers directly onto or off of the ships.

When her gaze drifted to the roofs she thought she saw something on top of one. It looked like some sort of shadow. However, she found nothing when she flew up to have a better look. Maybe there was no shadow to begin with. She shrugged and resumed waiting for her trainer.

The shadow returned when her gaze drifted back to the warehouse.


	9. Dream Eaters: Vega's Awakening

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon or have any rights to it.

* * *

Vander suddenly sat up in bed. Beads of sweat covered his forehead and his heart was racing.

He had been having the same recurring dream for a few days, each time the image of the mysterious pokémon became slightly clearer. Switching on the light at the nightstand, he looked over the image he had been sketching.

It was distinctly feline, and covered in white fur. The dark crest sticking out of its head matched the color of its face, tail, and paws. Vander was thus far unable to identify it, though his flight training with Skyla had taken precedence.

He got ready to leave and then gave Cosmo a quick grooming. They were down for breakfast around seven.

Nurse Joy set down two bowls of berries for Cosmo and Vega. "Did you have that dream again?"

Vander nodded and removed the notepad from his pocket. "I've got a pretty clear picture now. Do you know what it is?"

She shook her head. "All I can say is that it's not native to Eastern or Western Kanto. Perhaps it's from Hoenn, Sinnoh, or even Unova." She returned the notebook to him. "Maybe you should ask your boss or someone at the docks. They probably have more international experience."

Vander nodded. "Thanks for trying." _If only I had that new invention the Professor was working on. I could just scan the image and find out everything I need to know_. After breakfast, Vander used the remaining hour before work to feed Firebrand and Ironhide.

Ironhide looked slightly larger and more powerful since the boss allowed him to help the workers. One of their loading cranes had broken and Ironhide made an excellent replacement. It was an impossible feat for a normal-sized onix.

"The boss says they'll have a new crane in a few days," Vander said to him. "After that we can continue training for Rock Slide."

Ironhide nodded. While lifting half-ton crates was great exercise, he was still eager to master the next level in rock moves. Vander had told him of Monique's golem and how it could make rocks appear through portals in the sky.

After recalling Vega, Firebrand and Ironhide, and returning his cooking gear to the pokémon center, Vander left for the docks with Cosmo balancing on his shoulder.

The workers had gotten used to seeing him and paid them no mind as he located the correct warehouse.

The boss was waiting outside with several other workers. He was assigning each one a separate task for the day. When he saw Vander, he waved and greeted the boy with a smile. "Hello. Skyla's in my office if you're ready to get started."

Vander nodded and went inside.

Skyla promptly grabbed his arm and dragged led him outside for flight practice. While still as energetic and high-pitched as when they had started, Skyla appeared to have settled down somewhat. There was no more random jumping or overly excited movements. Flying was apparently her outlet and she was serious about it.

XXXOXXX

"_So this is where he went?"_ Hypno peered over one of the roofs in the Vermillion skyline. _"It appears his pokémon gotten stronger."_

Another pokémon, shaped like a white wax candle with eyes and a blue flame, floated alongside him. _"Don't botch this. Not that you've had a bad track record, but the master needs him."_

"_I've given her strong sacrifices before. Why the excess warnings with this one?"_

"_The master senses something. She says that some unknown force is on the rise. Its presence can even be felt in the Spirit World."_

Hypno's eyes narrowed. _"Isn't she be referring to Team Rocket? They're an up and coming gang here in Kanto."_

"_I am not sure. At this point she says its unknown if humans are even involved with it."_

"_I see, so if she had more strength, then she might be better able to forecast the threat. I can see why she wants this one. I've tasted his dream once to make sure. However I've noticed that he's recently been getting premonitions."_

"_Premonitions? Are you sure?"_

Hypno shook his head. _"No, but seeing an absol in your dream when you've never encountered one in the real world is quite unnatural. Off course he still has no idea what the pokémon is or what it represents."_

"_You should try and keep it that way."_ The candle pokémon began fading away. _"Move fast Hypno, for all our sakes."_

Hypno's face scrunched up into a frown. He ran hid behind a vent as Firebrand came up, carrying Vander Skyla and Cosmo. _Move fast? You're not the one who has to find a way around that kid's pokémon._

XXXOXXX

Firebrand was soon out of Hypno's line of sight. She took her passengers above the skyline. Skyla had suggested they take a "dip" in the stratosphere, but even Firebrand wasn't that daring yet. While she could easily adapt to the lower oxygen, the same could not be for her passengers, especially the humans.

Vander's heart was racing and adrenalin coursed through him. This was his first time riding in front. He felt exposed without someone else to hold onto. The cold wind forcefully knocking into his face didn't help things. As they approached the edge of the city he leaned left to try and steer them back.

Skyla almost startled him when she spoke up. "Don't steer her, tell her."

"Got it." Vander gulped and thought back to the different nonverbal commands Skyla had trained Firebrand to respond to.

Firebrand felt the tap on her neck. She smiled and gently rose higher into the air. Vander would not have had the nerve to do that even a few days ago. Once at her new altitude she circled back to avoid straying too far from the city.

Cosmo decided to crawl up to Vander's shoulder to get a better view. He smiled while looking down at the city. However he frowned when he looked up and didn't see any stars.

After a several minutes Vander gave Firebrand's neck a double tap and they were soon descending towards a grassy field on the outskirts of the city.

It was the one he had chosen for training. After daily flight practice Vander and Skyla would train their pokémon.

"Good job Firebrand," Skyla said as she reached up to scratch the fire type's chin.

Firebrand responded with a deep purring sound. Skyla always did this after their flight practice. It amazed her how easily the girl had found it out.

Vander let Ironhide and Vega out of their balls and waited patiently for Skyla to finish with Firebrand.

Bill was Skyla's only pokémon and Vander judged her to be around Vega's level. The two water types made excellent sparring partners with Bill's emphasis on flight helping Vega improve its aerial agility. The two trainers would mostly focus on training them.

Vega spun through the air, but Bill deftly evaded the blow. The starfish landed and leapt back into the air almost immediately.

"Use Gust!"

Bill flapped her wings hard as Vega sailed towards her. The resulting Gust blew the starfish back.

"Power Gem!"

As it flew back, Vega's gem began to glow bright red. Soon there were diamond shaped fragments shot out at Bill. The glowing red aura around them made them look like comets.

The attack tore through Bill's Gust, but she managed to evade by swerving to her right.

"Swift!"

"Aqua Ring!"

Three rings of water surrounded Bill. However they failed to hold up against the incoming star-shaped projectiles. After taking full damage the ducklett fell to the ground.

Skyla ran up to her. "Are you okay?"

Bill answered her trainer with a quack before getting to her feet. She began preening her feathers.

Vander approached Skyla with a raised eyebrow. "What were you trying to do? Why didn't you tell Bill to dodge or counterattack?"

"It's a trick that Grandpa's swanna does. He can use Aqua Ring to block attacks. Like Protect."

Vander cupped his chin. "That's interesting, but why not just use Protect? It's more reliable."

Skyla shrugged. "I just think its cool and it's my Grandpa's technique."

He nodded before looking up at Firebrand. She was in the middle of her training routine. Turning back to Skyla he asked, "Does Bill have any moves I could teach Firebrand?"

Skyla spent the next few minutes wracking her brain. Once satisfied, she shook her head vigorously. "Sorry. No or not yet. Grandpa will teach me some new moves later."

Vander nodded. "I'm going to help Ironhide with his training. Do you think you can handle Vega and Bill?"

Skyla nodded, but spoke up when Vander turned away. "Wait. What about Cosmo? I don't think you've trained him much at all."

They both turned to look at the feline, who had carved a small pothole into ground in his Sand Attack practice. Vander had made no progress in getting him to use damaging moves, so he settled for letting him practice the most useful non-damaging ones.

"Cosmo…he doesn't like using Tackle, and that's the only damaging move he knows." Vander sighed. "I'm not sure if I can train him, at least for battle. Maybe I'll just keep him as a pet."

Skyla shrugged. "Okay. Just making sure."

Cosmo wasn't bothered by what his trainer said. He didn't mind not battling. Why would he need to in the first place? Vega was coming up in strength and between Firebrand and Ironhide he didn't think Vander needed any more protection.

Firebrand felt less secure. Vander had told them all about the recurring dream and the mysterious pokémon. She had repeated visions of a mysterious shadow. It would appear briefly and out of place in her peripheral vision only to vanish when she tried to get a better look.

Ironhide briefly exchanged a look with her before turning to begin his Rock Slide training. She had told him about it a few days ago. While she could have been hallucinating, that explanation no longer satisfied him. That shadow had only appeared after they entered Vermillion City.

"Hey Ironhide." Vander raised an eyebrow. _That's strange. I wonder what's bothering him?_ He smiled when the rock snake snapped back to reality. "Are you okay?"

Ironhide nodded vigorously. Vander seemed to accept his response and they began their normal training routine.

"Now like before, try to envision the pocket dimension."

It was the first step to true Rock Slide mastery. Research indicated that the rocks came from a place called the pocket dimension and the user simply opened portals beneath the envisioned rocks.

Ironhide shut his eyes and tuned out his senses. However, there was no mysterious sensation. There never had been since the beginning of his training. Opening his eyes, he shook his head.

Vander sighed. "I guess all you can do is try again." _I wish I could tell him more. How did Monique do it?_

Though several trainers had accomplished the feat, they seemed unable to put the experience into words. As far Vander knew, the pokémon's own psychology played a crucial role in the technique.

Ironhide closed his eyes and tried again. With his senses tuned out there was only darkness. His mind began to relax as most thoughts left him. Then he felt fear and shame.

Their victory over Machamp had been a fluke no thanks to him. Now he was failing his trainer again. What if this shadow Firebrand had told him about turned out to be a new threat? How could he protect his new family?

Vander sighed when Ironhide opened his eyes again. Walking up to the rock snake, he began stroking one the rocky segments. "I know I'm not being very helpful."

Ironhide shook his head.

Vander smiled up at him. "You'll probably get it some day. We just need to find a rock type master some time." He then looked over at Skyla had started to attempt a one-person pokémon battle between Bill and Vega. "I'd better help her. Why don't you just practice what you already know?"

Ironhide nodded and sighed once his trainer had walked away.

XXXOXXX

"Here." Skyla's father handed Vander a small stack of bills. "That's for this week." It was slightly larger than last week's to compensate for Ironhide's work.

"Thank you sir," Vander replied. He only needed a portion for his weekly expenses. The rest would be saved to tide him over until his next job.

Later that day, after Skyla had gone back to her father, Vander was wandering the streets with Cosmo on his shoulder. Vermillion City had a lot to see and he thoroughly enjoyed the nighttime strolls. Each night they would pick a new section of city to explore.

Like all other parts of the city, this one was just as active at night. Sailors were everywhere and he even thought he recognized a few workers sitting at one of the many bars. The shops were what interested him most. While Celadon was better for shopping in general and Saffron had better deals on electronics, Vermillion was the place to buy exotic products from around the world.

Vander had seen several fun little trinkets he would have loved to buy, but the price tag always made him reconsider. Vermillion's booming tourist industry had a tendency to jack up the prices. However, with tourist season over down, dealers were lowering their prices to empty their inventory.

They eventually found a little store that sold various rare stones and relics. The inside looked surprisingly clean. Glass shelves lined the right wall, while an L-shaped glass counter lined the left and back walls. All merchandise was kept inside the bulletproof glass case.

Vander's entrance triggered a bell, which brought a neatly dressed clerk from one of the back rooms. Upon seeing Cosmo, the man immediately caught on to what Vander was interested.

"You're looking for a stone to evolve your eevee?"

Vander shook his head. "Not for my eevee, but I'd like a water stone."

The man nodded and unlocked one of the sliding doors in the counter. He pulled out a cushioned tray on which one of each type of evolution stone was arranged and removed the water stone.

Though he could afford it, Vander wasn't keen to lose a week's worth of pay. So he had also brought a coupon that gave him a 10% discount. Soon he was walking out of the store, stone in hand.

Cosmo wanted to sniff it and would have tried. However, Vander had told him not to touch it and why. It was Vega's water stone. Once back at the room Cosmo began scampering around excitedly. He hopped and squeaked excitedly to Vega when it emerged from its ball.

"I'll evolve you tomorrow," Vander said, placing the stone on the desk that stood in front of the bed. "I want Skyla to see this too."

As usual, Vega offered no obvious reaction though Vander had managed to pick up a few things. The gem was an indicator of where it was looking. If Vega stared at something for a while, it was most likely contemplating it.

Vander smiled when he saw Vega staring. "You've really improved. You earned it.'

"Hyah!"

_Still no clue what that means._ Vander smiled and nodded. "Good night Vega," he said before getting ready for bed.

Hypno watched Vander through the window from across the street. While the bipedal tapir couldn't literally see him, his psychic powers allowed him to sense the boy's dreams.

His master had given him permission to eat them.

They needed to prevent Vander from getting tipped off to their plan. So far they had managed to get a sizeable number of drowsee into the city below the humans' radar.

With Vander's routine mapped out, Hypno knew when he would be most vulnerable. Firebrand and Ironhide had to come out of their balls. They didn't need to be beaten, the drowsee just had to distract them.

With almost everything worked out there was still one troubling detail left unanswered. Hypno wanted to know whom it was giving Vander those dreams. The boy had no special powers they knew of, no aura or psychic ability. Someone else had to be warning him.

XXXOXXX

Vander decided to evolve Vega before they began flight training. He walked with Skyla to the field where they normally trained with Cosmo and Bill in tow. Skyla's enthusiasm brought a smile to his face.

She was practically skipping towards the field. "So you bought the water stone with the money my dad paid you."

Vander nodded.

Skyla's face scrunched up into a frown. "Wait. If you can find berries and weeds to eat, then why do you need money to buy food?"

"I can feed Vega and Cosmo with berries and Ironhide eats soil, but Firebrand needs to eat meat. Its illegal to hunt so we have to buy meat from the store."

Skyla stopped skipping and turned to face Vander with wide eyes. "Firebrand eats meat?"

"It's not what you think," Vander replied. "Wild charizard hunt other pokémon, but the meat from the story is grown in a lab."

She raised an eyebrow. "People can grow meat in labs?"

Vander nodded. "It's complicated, but they can. I can take you to the store and show you. It says so on the label."

"That's okay," Skyla replied. She turned to continue walking. Her energy seemed drained and it looked like she was contemplating something. However, her energy return the moment Vander produced the water stone.

Vega felt many things when the stone touched it. Newfound strength surged through it. Its body began to stretch and new limbs sprouted painlessly. There was also a sense of heightened awareness. Everything became clearer as if it were waking from a dream. "Hyah!"

Skyla clapped excitedly as the white light faded to reveal the newly evolved starmie.

Vega spun in place before using its new psychic to levitate. Then it began spinning through the air. Thick jets of water shot out of each limb, prompting those around it to either block or move away. Its gem glowed bright red and golden stars shot out followed by a spray of diamond-shaped fragments.

"Good," Vander said. "All your attacks have gotten stronger and faster."

"Hyah!" Vega stopped its attacks, but kept twirling around.

A small smile played on Vander's face as he watched Vega twirling around. _It's happy._ He wasn't quite sure how he could tell; maybe it was because the starfish seemed more active and energetic than normal.

Vega even allowed Cosmo to leap on for a ride. It floated perpendicularly to the ground and Skyla commented that in the right costume, Cosmo could look like an alien riding a UFO.

"I have a friend in Unova who's really into fashion and stuff. She could probably make it work." Skyla used her fingers to make a frame through which she view Vega and Cosmo. "We could make a fake poster."

"Why would we make a fake movie poster?"

She shrugged. "I just said we could."

_Never mind._ Vander nodded. "Now that Vega's evolved, it can use psychic moves as well. I'm not sure how I could train it for those moves." _I can't even teach Ironhide Rock Slide._

"Internet." Skyla's reply was prompt and came out like a high-pitched chirp.

Vander shrugged. "I'll do it later."

"Great." She grabbed his arms and began leading him to Firebrand. "Time for flight practice."

With Vander and Skyla in the air, Vega turned its attention to a strange sensation that had begun the moment its evolution was complete. It couldn't see anything strange, but felt strange pressure. They were not overwhelming, but ever present.

Ironhide noticed Vega looking around. He growled out a question, but the only answer he got was that it felt like they were being watched. Remembering what Firebrand had told him, he also began looking though soon gave up.

Unlike Ironhide Vega could not ignore its new sense and stop. After several minutes it discovered that the new sense didn't apply to any of the people or pokémon it saw including Vander, Skyla, Firebrand, Ironhide, Cosmo and Bill. Something else was triggering it.

Ironhide took notice of Vega's confusion and made a note to at least talk to Firebrand about it. He approached her soon after flight practice before she took off to begin her routine.

Firebrand frowned as she listened to Ironhide. She looked over at the starfish.

As expected it seemed preoccupied, though it tried to pay attention to Vander's training instructions.

Vander also noticed of Vega's distraction. At first it was subtle, but he soon realized that its gem was swinging back as if looking around for something. "Something on your mind?"

"Hyah!" Vega's central gem began glowing, but for the first time the glow was blue instead of the normal red.

"You've never done that before." Vander cupped his chin. "This has to be related to your new psychic powers."

Skyla approached them and bent over to stare at Vega's gem. "Maybe it can hear people's thoughts or something."

Vander nodded. "You might be right Skyla. It definitely looks like it senses something. Right Vega?"

"Hyah!" Vega nodded.

Vander closed his eyes and recalled every experience he had with psychic types. There were only a handful, but then he remembered his conversation with Monique. "Off course. You're sensing other psychic types, aren't you? That must be it."

"How do you know that?"

"I met a trainer with a psychic type pokémon in Saffron City. She said it could sense other psychic types that were in the area."

Skyla nodded and smiled. "There are probably whole bunches of people who have psychic types around here."

Vega seemed to calm slightly at this, though the sensation remained. Perhaps it would have to just get used to it or learn to tune it out.

XXXOXXX

Vander sat up in bed. It was a few hours before dawn so the room was devoid of sunlight. However the lights from the city were enough to illuminate the room to the point where he could see Vega looking at him. "Hey Vega."

Vega floated closer to him and its gem glowed blue again.

"Sensing psychic types again?"

Vega nodded.

Vander then recalled his dream or lack thereof. "You know, I don't think I had a dream tonight or last night, but it feels like I should've been having one." Then his eyes widened. "Maybe something ate it!"

Cosmo stirred a little, but didn't wake.

Vega nodded and its gem glowed blue again.

"Right. You must be sensing drowsee. They were in and around Saffron so I'll bet there are some here as well."

Vega floated closer to Vander and bent one of its arms so it could pat the boy's head.

Vander smiled and pulled the starfish into a hug. "Whatever's going on we'll get through it." _Still I have a weird feeling that those drowsee followed us here, and if they did then Hypno will be with them._ "Hey Vega. Do you still sense them?"

It nodded.

"Then I think we should only talk about them when they can't really see us. I have a feeling we'll need to get the jump on them. You remember what happen shortly after I caught you right?"

Vega nodded again.

"I think it might be them again. If it is, they might come after us no matter where we go. I don't want to lead them back to Molly or let them hurt Skyla." He cupped his chin. "I can tell Skyla about it in her dad's office, and maybe I can tell him about it as well. Nurse Joy might also listen and I can talk with her in the center."

Vega nodded before resuming its normal post at the foot of the bed.

XXXOXXX

Vander told Skyla about his fears when he met her the next day. He hoped the drowsee couldn't somehow listen to the conversation.

Skyla looked perplexed as she heard his account of the drowsee and hypno. "So these…drowsee things kidnap kids and eat their dreams?"

"It's weird, but true. They almost got me. It happened the same day I got Vega." He paused to gauge Skyla's reaction.

She frowned for a moment, but then gave him a nod.

"I think we need to use Vega's new sense to find them and attack them before they come after us."

Skyla raised an eyebrow and her eyes widened. "Why? Is it okay to just go after them? They're just pokémon. Daddy says that pokémon only attack with a good reason."

Vander nodded. "They have reasons. I think they're trying to catch us for food. Like I said, the drowsee were led by a Hypno. It's more evolved so it probably wants me out of the way because I saw it. If I blow their cover and people believe me, the drowsee will have a harder time feeding."

Skyla maintained her frown. "It's still mean to just attack them."

_I disagree._ Vander also frowned. "Still…I can't just let them do what they want. What if they attack me or someone else? What if they came after you?" He immediately regretted the last question.

Skyla's eyes were as wide as he had ever seen them. She began looking around.

Bill hopped over to Skyla from her spot on the couch. She stroked her trainer with an outstretched wing.

Vander approached her, his face having softened. "I'm sorry Skyla. I shouldn't have said that." She had taken his words too seriously. It reminded him of someone he once knew.

"You'll keep me safe if the drowsee attack me right?"

He nodded. "I will." He sat next to her and pulled her into a hug. His thoughts drifted to his younger sister. _She used to get scared of a lot of things, but she always forgot about it the next day._ "I think we can stop them if we catch them by surprise. If they are planning to attack there will be a lot of them. If we surprise them we can take a bunch out before they put up a defense."

"Me and Bill can help a little, but I don't want to fight them. You can do that by yourself right?"

Vander nodded. "Can you take care of Cosmo during the fight?"

"Yes." Then she thought of something and stood up. "We should tell some grown ups first. Daddy said to tell him if something happened." She promptly grabbed Vander's arm without waiting for a response and began leading him out the door to where her father was.

"Daddy we need help."

In the following minutes, Skyla's father followed the two children into his office. He patiently listened to Vander's story. His facial expression slowly shifted from worried to confused. At the end he seemed almost amused as he leaned back in his chair with a raised eyebrow.

"So will you help me beat them?"

The man got up from his seat, walked over to Vander. Placing a hand on the boy's shoulder he said, "I know that pokémon can be scary and dangerous sometimes. I once thought a litwick, that's ghost type from Unova, was out to get me. I felt sick for a little while, and it would always show up when I was going for my morning walk."

Skyla hung on every word. "Then what happened?"

"It turns out that there was more than one litwick. They were feeding off my life force, but it was probably because we happened to be in the same area. There are a lot of litwick around the Celestial Tower. All I had to do was change my walking route and they stopped bothering me."

"So are you saying the drowsee haven't followed me here?"

"I can't be sure since I'm no expert on Kanto pokémon. However it has been my experience that even the smarter pokémon don't think the way humans do. Unless they've been trained, they usually do things based on their base needs and what their instincts tell them."

"So you don't think the drowsee followed me here." He sighed. _I guess it makes sense. There could be a whole bunch of psychic types in the city._

Skyla's father nodded before moving to the door. "I can believe that there are drowsee in Saffron City and in Vermillion City that eat people's dreams or even try to kidnap people. I can't believe that the same drowsee you met in Saffron would follow you all the way here, at least not without more evidence."

"Well that settles it." Skyla grabbed Vander's arm. "Time for flying practice!" There was no arguing with her.

XXXOXXX

Later that day, after Skyla had gone with her father, Vander sat with Cosmo and Vega in his room at the center. Vega's gem was glowing bright blue.

"Can you tell what you're sensing?"

"Hyah!"

Cosmo turned to Vander and shook his head.

"Alright then. Can you tell where the other psychic types are?"

Cosmo translated Vega's response again. It was another headshake.

The glow soon faded from Vega's gem and its limbs seemed to go limp. It laid flat with on its back. Vega's psychic sense had become clearer since Vander figured out how to train it. However its powers weren't where they needed to be to assist him.

"You're doing fine," Vander said as he stroked Vega's gem. "At the rate you're going we'll be able to figure out if Skyla's father was right in a few days."

"Hy-ah…" Vega was clearly exhausted.

Vander picked it up and moved it onto the bed. "We should all get some rest, especially you." After turning off the lights, Vander climbed into bed and closed his eyes.


	10. Dream Eaters: Trouble at the Docks

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon or have any rights to it.

* * *

Vega had found a way to block out its original five senses after a few days. Intense meditation was the key. It could even choose which sense to focus on. The strange pressures soon took on a new character. Now it could distinguish several presences and even vaguely sense their movements. As always, a blue glow enveloped its gem when utilizing the sixth sense.

Vander spoke up once he saw the glow fade. "So can you sense individual pressures or tell us where they are coming from now?"

Cosmo helped Vander interpret the beeps and flashes constituting Vega's response.

Vander sighed and lay back on the bed. _So Vega can differentiate individuals or group clusters, but it senses psychic types all around us?_ He plunged fingers into his ever-lengthening straight black mane; now a few inches short of shoulder length. _Still…it's a major improvement from when we started._

Vega also flopped onto its back and remained still. Vander would call when he needed something and breakfast was still an hour away. Sleep now came in two segments. With the three of them getting up two hours earlier it became more important for Vega to catch up while inside the poké ball during Vander's flight practice.

Cosmo briefly looked over Vega before leaping onto the bed and curling up into a ball. His legs had become significantly stronger due to his Sand Attack practice, not that he thought much of it. The other had the fighting part covered.

After a few minutes Vander was sure the two pokémon were sleeping. However he couldn't sleep even with the alarm set to wake him again at seven. _They're here. I know they're here. My dreams are being eaten._

He had looked up the phenomenon several times and cross-referenced what he had found online with his personal experience. However there was no concrete proof of anything.

Rolling off the bed and onto his feet, he moved to the window.

Though the sun wouldn't rise for at least two hours, the streets were bright with artificial light.

He couldn't see any drowsee or hypno on the rooftops or down in the streets. The result was the same as before. There were no visible threats.

He returned to bed lay awake until the seven o clock alarm rang. Then he fed Vega and Cosmo before eating breakfast in the lobby. Once finished he went out to the training field.

It was cold and dark outside.

Vander's long-sleeved shirts and red hoodie kept him warm enough. However the darkness and occasional rustling of bushes around him kept his heart rate above normal. He always kept close to Vega and Firebrand, forbidding Cosmo from straying too far.

In reality, Cosmo had the best eyesight of the group and his reflexes would most likely keep him out of danger. He enjoyed the currently cloudless night, being well insulated from the cool breeze by his thickening fur.

There was another rustling of bushes.

Cosmo turned to see a silhouette bound out into the field. Whatever it was, most likely a ratata, kept moving and gave the group a wide berth. He soon turned his attention back to the stars.

_At least someone's enjoying the night air,_ Vander thought as he waited for Ironhide to resurface. Even with his night vision, sound was his primary sense and he would respond to every little one. Some were real, but most were probably imaginary. He noticed Cosmo walking away, his eyes still on the stars. "Stay close Cosmo."

The feline rolled his eyes and turned back to stand near his trainer and Firebrand. He remembered that as the nights lengthened, Vander had listed several potentially dangerous pokémon that lived in the area.

Ekans were still not a problem, being most problematic in summer. It was the mammalian predators, raticates, meowths and the occasional pack of houndour that were the most common threats. The other native threats were too rare to be worth mentioning.

Firebrand let the little cat leap onto her head and raised her neck. She would take him for a short flight if Vander weren't still paranoid about it. To be fair he was getting better, but still avoided flying without Skyla.

Ironhide resurfaced just as the horizon began to light up.

Vander wasted no time in returning the pokémon and moved towards the docks. He kept one hand in his right pants pocket, grasped around Firebrand's ball.

Cosmo rode on Vander's shoulder, keeping his eyes glued to the sky. The stars were slowly fading as the sun rose higher.

Business at the docks operated like clockwork, even with the ever-shortening days. However, Skyla's father would soon be returning to Unova with his daughter and Vander's employment would be at an end.

There were many shady characters at the docks. Vermillion was a prime spot for smuggling contraband and the warehouses made tempting targets for thieves.

Vander had seldom been approached. After his first day, word quickly spread about his two strong pokémon. He even remembered several workers from other companies visiting just to see Ironhide and marvel at his size. However, with an eevee sitting out in plain sight, it was only a matter of time before someone built up the nerve to challenge him.

There were several of them, all dressed in black with a red R on their chests. Black caps helped conceal their individual hairstyles and facial features. Most had a tall lanky build and looked to be in their mid to late teens. Several white flashes preceded the release of their ratata and zubat.

Their leader looked more mature and muscular. He approached Vander with a confident smile, flanked by two fierce houndoom. The man raised a revolver to Vander's face when he saw the boy trying to extract the Firebrand's ball from his pocket. "Don't even think about it."

Vander froze up, his eyes darting around as the group surrounded him. _Nobody's here! We're alone!_ He could feel Cosmo shaking, but didn't dare move.

"You know what we want," the leader said. "Just stay still and we'll take those four pokémon you've got. Then you can be on your way…well on second thought you can keep that starmie. The other three are pretty rare. Rest assured they will be put to good use."

With adrenaline fueling his senses, Vander could here the group moving to surround him while their leader spoke. _We're surrounded!_ He took note of the leader's gun. _He's the only one with gun and his pokémon are a lot stronger than the others. That's probably how he controls them._

The man raised an eyebrow. "Strategizing? Don't be silly and don't even think about stalling for time." He reached into Vander's pockets with his left hand, keeping the gun pointed with his right.

The houndoom growled, but were too slow to react as Cosmo leapt off Vander's shoulder and at the man's face.

He stumbled back as the feline bounded off him, taking his cap and exposing his face.

Cosmo's bid to run and get help with cut short when a group of six ratata surrounded him. He cried out when one of the houndoom grabbed him roughly in its jaws by the collar of fur around his neck.

Though startled, the leader firmly held the three minimized balls. He noticed Vander staring at him and raised his gun before the boy could make a move. "Too bad kid. I can't risk you identifying me." However his body seized up before he could pull the trigger.

Vander heard a familiar chanting and noticed the pokémon around him getting riled up. He looked around and saw that his attackers had turned their attention to what was now all around them. _I was right all along. The drowsee! They've come for me, but why? Wouldn't they want me dead?_

_Shit!_ The leader was completely powerless as Vander pried the three balls from his paralyzed hand. He managed to make his right arm quiver, but the trigger finger remained immobile. _What the hell is going on and who's chanting?_

The zubats screeched before falling out of the sky, no doubt the victims of Confusion.

Ratata scurried about in a vain attempt to escape. Their trainers followed suit after seeing their powerless leader.

Vander released his three other pokémon. He leapt onto Ironhide, who raised him up and out of harm's way.

Soon the humans became aware of several drowsee closing in around them from around the warehouses and shipping containers. Their eyes were glowing teal blue.

Vega's sixth sense was going crazy. The bright blue glow on its central gem obscured its red coloration. Blocking out the psychic sense, it proceeded to attack the people in black.

Several teenagers fell when hit by Vega's Swift.

Vega then knocked the leader down with Rapid Spin. Then it used Power Gem to crush the gun once it hit the ground.

Cosmo suddenly fell to the ground as his capture rushed to the aid of its master. He scurried over to Firebrand, who was making short work of the other houndoom and scrambled up to her shoulder.

With the weakest safe and secure, Firebrand knocked out the canine in front of her with a Mega Kick to the gut. She then flew onto one of the shipping containers.

Vander was also above the fray, sitting safely on Ironhide's head.

The rock snake had taken almost no damage. He was somewhat perplexed as he saw the two sides warring around him.

The gang's leader was still knock out. His remaining houndoom had rallied the ratata and teenagers to put up some sort of resistance against the drowsee.

The drowsee that had gotten closer to the fray were suddenly forced back as ratata leapt at their faces.

Vander soon saw Firebrand lifting Cosmo out of the fray. Waving to her, he called out. "We need to get out of here!"

Firebrand nodded and swooped in to grab Vander by the shoulders.

He recalled Vega and Ironhide simultaneously before Firebrand began carrying him off.

The two sides were too busy fighting each other to stop them.

At first Vander breathed a sighed of relief. Then he realized that Firebrand had him hanging from her arms. "Careful Firebrand. Don't fly too fast."

She rolled her eyes, maintaining her current speed. At least Cosmo wasn't complaining. The flight would only last a few minutes anyway.

XXXOXXX

"_You botched it!"_

Hypno flinched at the loud and harsh voice in his head. He turned away from the battle to face a floating shadow.

"_I told you to attack earlier, but you had to wait a little longer! Your cowardice has lost us our element of surprise!"_

"_I…It's not my fault. Who could have predicted-"_

"_Never mind!"_ The shadow began to fade away. _"I've got a backup plan. Just call back the drowsee and have a group accompany you to the boy's current location."_

Hypno sighed before turning back to the battle. His eyes began glowing teal blue as he telepathically contacted his subordinates.

The drowsee all got the same blue glow in their eyes and backed away.

Their opponents had formed a defensive circle around their leader.

The sun was up, but the drowsee were well practiced in slipping through cities and populated areas undetected. Their psychic powers allowed easy access to the rooftops from which they were seldom spotted.

"They're falling back." The gang members turned to see that their boss had gotten up. The man looked around before returning his houndoom to its poké ball.

"I didn't see any of the trainers around," said one of the grunts as they returned their ratata and zubat. "Who do you think they were? A rival gang?"

The leader shrugged. "The sun's up. We need to disappear." He looked across the group. "Scatter and then meet up at the usual spot." The group dispersed. Each member would invert his or her uniform when the chance came to blend in with the crowds.

XXXOXXX

"Here. Have some cocoa." Skyla's father handed a hot mug of cocoa to Vander as they sat in his office. "The police are on their way. Apparently there have been several sightings of the group you described all across Kanto."

Vander nodded. "What about the drowsee? Is there anyone looking into that?"

The man shook his head. "No, though in light of what happened, they seem more like heroes than villains. Think about it. They saved your life. Sure they eat dreams, but that also means they need you alive."

Skyla nodded before taking a sip of her own cocoa.

"You two stay in this room." Skyla's father moved to exit the office. "I'll be outside with the men working. I'll bring in the police officers when they arrive. They want to talk with you."

Vander nodded. Then his head drooped after the man left.

Skyla set her cocoa down on the wooden armrest at her side of the sofa before scooting over to him. She began patting his shoulder. "It's okay?"

Vander sighed and set his cocoa on his armrest. "I had three strong pokémon to protect me, but I still wasn't able to beat those thugs. I needed the drowsee to come in and save me."

"Well…" Skyla couldn't think of any response.

"Your dad trusted me to protect you." _And I plan on chasing my real enemy after I become champion._ "How can I do any of that if I can't handle a thug with a gun."

Skyla nodded. "If only there was some way to disarm them. Maybe a psychic type?"

"That's a good idea." Vander then frowned. _I can't exactly let Vega float beside me. Maybe I shouldn't let Cosmo travel out in the open._ He shook his head. "I need to make some changes…keep a lower profile. This is the first time anyone has really bothered me like this."

"Hyah!" All eyes fell on Vega. Its gem was glowing bright blue. Then it beeped sixteen times.

Vander counted the number of beeps. "So are you saying that there are at least sixteen of them around here?"

Vega nodded.

Skyla looked between the two and then to Bill who had fluttered over to the window. "What's going on?" Her tone betrayed uncertainty. "Who's out there?"

Vander got up and moved to the window. "Probably the drowsee again. I really do think they're the same ones that tried to get me in Saffron City."

"Maybe they just came to make sure you're okay." She sounded wishful.

Vander looked out and saw several men milling about. However the only pokémon he saw were the usual machoke and gurdurr. "They're definitely hiding out. I guess they won't come out and risk a confrontation with so many people around."

Skyla sighed. "Then we're safe." She moved back to her cocoa, which had cooled significantly and began drinking.

Vander followed suit, not taking time to savor the taste. He turned back to the window when he heard Bill's quacks. "That must be the police." Placing the empty cup on the desk, he moved to the window to make sure.

There was an Officer Jenny leading two male officers. After a brief conversation with Skyla's father, they entered the warehouse.

Once in the warehouse Officer Jenny took Vander aside for questioning.

"Can you give me a description of the people who attacked you?"

"They were all dressed in black and I couldn't really recognize them because of the hats they were wearing. There was a red R on their shirts. It was their symbol I guess." He paused so the officer could finish her notes.

Jenny frowned and tapped the end of her pen on her notepad. "A red R? That sounds like Team Rocket. It's a new gang that seems to be on the rise. Based on current trends it will be the dominant gang in Kanto after just a few years."

Vander nodded. "I think most of the guys were teenagers. There was this big muscular man leading them. He had stronger pokémon and a gun." He paused again, calling up the memory of the guy's face. "My eevee was able to knock off his hat so I got a good look at him."

Jenny's face brightened up. "That's good." She led Vander back to where the others were waiting. "Sir. I'd like to take this boy with me to the station. He said he saw one of the culprit's faces and I have some pictures for him to look at."

Skyla's father nodded. "It's fine with me." Then he looked down at Vander. "Are you okay with that?"

Vander nodded and he was soon following the police back to the station.

XXXOXXX

Hypno let out a frustrated growl as he pursued Vander as stealthily as possible. _Great! Now how am I supposed to get to him?_

It was difficult enough for the fairly large group of drowsee to move through a densely populated area in broad daylight. They did not know how much the boy had revealed about them and, more importantly, how much the police had believed. Fortunately for them, the station was not far from the docks so they could still avoid the most crowded areas.

The location was beneficial. Warehouses farther inland were meant for long-term storage and had less activity around them. Most of the staff was inside inspecting the inventory or moving the cargo.

Hypno found a perch atop one of the warehouses. He didn't care where the others hid. Looking out over the edge, he saw one of several police stations that dotted the city.

It was meant specifically for dealing with crimes in and around the docks and had a distinct blue shield over the entrance. The building itself was little more than a two-story navy blue box with several glass windows.

At least half an hour passed before Vander emerged. Unlike before he had no pokémon visibly on him. He sighed, clearly not in the best of spirits.

Cosmo poked his head out of Vander's collar. While he found it cozy being tucked under his trainer's shirt, he still hoped things would return to normal soon.

"Well at least I was able to pick out the guy for them," Vander said dejectedly. He shook his head and sighed again. "Why won't they believe me? They were there. It was the same drowsee. I know it."

Cosmo reached up to nuzzle his trainer's chin. He wondered why proving this was so important. In fact, he recalled watching a documentary on TV with his original owners. Vander sounded almost like one of those conspiracy theorists.

Vander shook his head, and then stopped before pulling out Vega's poké ball. "We really should have someone else out to protect us."

Vega materialized moments later and its gem began glowing blue almost immediately.

Hypno, who had been watching, felt the presence of the shadow behind him. He turned just in time to see the one-eyed figure appear.

"_Attack now."_

"_We've lost the element of-"_

"_Attack now!"_

Hypno flinched momentarily before telepathically calling for the attack. The drowsee were nearby and he joined them, leaping down from the warehouse roof and landing in front of the startled boy.

"So I was right all along! It is you!" Vander reached into his pocket only to find himself immobilized. He saw Hypno's eyes glowing and immediately knew what had happened.

Vega had figured it out too and responded within seconds.

The Swift hit Hypno head on, breaking his concentration.

Vander immediately pulled out two balls and released the other two.

Hypno's eyes began glowing as he and the drowsee attempted to restrain Vander, Vega, and the two larger pokémon that had just emerged.

Vega tapped into its own psychic abilities to try and counter Hypno's.

The drowsee were not nearly as successful. While Vander was immobilized, Firebrand and Ironhide overcame their hold almost immediately.

Taking to the air, Firebrand let loose a Fire Spin. While most drowsee evaded the attack, the spiraling flames ensnared at least three.

Ironhide raised his body and slammed it into the ground, making a small dent in the cement.

Cosmo stiffened and burrowed into his trainer's shirt.

Vander swayed with the Earthquake. _The noise should bring help running._

The shockwave knocked all the drowsee to the ground.

Hypno managed to leap into the air in time. However it cost him his focus on Vega.

Vega slammed into him with Rapid Spin. It then used his new powers to lift Vander and Cosmo so Ironhide could safely hit all the drowsee with a tail swipe.

The shadow watched from a secluded location. It made telepathic contact with Hypno, who had recovered and was currently trying to restrain Ironhide while the drowsee tried to fend off Firebrand and Vega with Light Screen. _"You must take the boy hostage!"_

Hypno was sweating as he struggled to hold Ironhide still with Psychic. _"But-"_

"_Do it!"_

Firebrand swooped and lifted two drowsee. She then bashed their heads together before dropping them.

Hypno shook his head before trying to shift focus to Vander.

A few free drowsee took Hypno's place in restraining Ironhide.

Vega sensed Hypno's intention and blocked using its own psychic powers.

_Accursed star-_ Hypno suddenly felt the pressure lift as a mysterious black ball of energy struck Vega from seemingly out of nowhere.

"Vega!" Vander rushed over to his downed pokémon only to freeze in place.

With a wave of his hand, Hypno brought Vander to him. With another wave he had removed Cosmo and tossed the feline aside.

Ironhide saw the whole thing. Breaking free of the psychic hold, he charged towards Hypno and Vander with a mighty roar.

Hypno brought Vander into his clutches, and placed a hand on the boy's chest.

The rock snake seemed to get the message and stopped mere inches from him. His body was trembling as a low growl escaped him.

Hypno looked around and saw Firebrand finishing off several more drowsee. Then he heard the footsteps of approaching humans.

The drowsee received a telepathic message and began to retreat.

Firebrand didn't attempt to stop them, instead turning her attention to Vander. She landed and growled at the psychic tapir. The tongues of her bluish white flame flicked about violently.

Hypno felt the weight of the eyes on him. Other humans had also arrived. He could see the police officers standing behind Vander's pokémon and hear the sounds of workers and their working pokémon behind him. _"I'm trapped! What should I do next?"_

The shadow materialized behind him. It spoke directly to Hypno so that even Vega couldn't hear. _"You've done you're job well enough. There's nothing left for you to accomplish."_

Hypno's eyes widened. He felt a chill in his heart. A large, shadowy hand emerged through his chest. It solidified and it felt as if all the psychic energy left him.

Upon sensing his freedom Vander pulled free before running over to Firebrand. His heart was racing as he grabbed hold of her.

Firebrand smiled and placed a hand on the boy's head before looking back at Hypno and the shadow with a frown. Her flame slowly returned to its default state.

_Wh…Why?_ That was Hypno's last thought as his body numbed and slowly shut down. He was dead before his head hit the ground.

The shadow slowly began to materialize. It had a large round body with what looked like two yellow eyes and a crooked mouth on it. The real head was mummy-like with a single eye and a yellow antenna on top. With two arms and a ghostly tail, everyone around immediately knew what type it was.

"A dusknoir," exclaimed one of the bystanders. This immediately sparked several hushed conversations among the workers.

Officer Jenny immediately went to Vander. The boy was starting to catch his breath. "My god! Are you alright? What happened?"

"I'll…be fine." Confident in his safety, Vander checked and returned all four of his pokémon to their balls. Then he turned to look at Dusknoir.

The ghost type was currently the center of everyone's attention. After killing Hypno it had floated in place, never taking its eye off Vander. When it caught the boy's gaze, Dusknoir decided to speak up. _"You have nothing to fear from me."_

The humans and machoke all jumped as the ghost's voice echoed in their heads.

"_I can talk to you telepathically, one of many skills I have acquired from years of practice."_

Officer Jenny was the first to speak up with some questions. "Why did you kill this Hypno? Do you know why it attacked this boy?" She pointed to Vander.

"_I can answer all those questions and more."_ Dusknoir then pointed to Vander. _"That boy was of special significance to the drowsee who were led by this Hypno. I knew they were planning to kidnap him so I tailed them here and dealt with Hypno when I had the chance."_

She noticed Vander's triumphant smirk and frowned. "Are you saying those drowsee were planning this on their own? I can't believe that. There has to be some trainer, maybe a pokémon hunter behind the operation. He or she probably wanted to steal the kid's pokémon."

Dusknoir saw an opportunity, though looked stoic to those around it. _"There was probably some mystery organization intent on scouting the boy for talent. A good trainer is as valuable as strong pokémon and while the boy's pokémon are strong, he had to have been a good trainer to take them as far as he has."_

Vander blushed a little from the compliment.

"_Regardless. I am here to protect the boy from further harm. My own trainer sent me here. She lives in Lavender Town and would like me to bring the boy to her to help with his training. She would definitely be better than me at shedding light on the situation."_

Officer Jenny's eyes widened, as if she were realizing something. "Ah off course!"

Vander looked up at her with a raised eyebrow. "Do you know the trainer the…dusknoir is talking about?"

"Not personally, but I do know of her," replied Officer Jenny. "She must be Agatha of the Elite Four. It makes perfect sense! Only Agatha could train a ghost type so well and she definitely lives in the area around Lavender Town."

A smiled soon spread across Vander's face. _I still think the drowsee were acting on their own, but if this dusknoir is Agatha's, then meeting her would be the opportunity of a lifetime, and she might have some answers about my dreams as well._ "I guess I'll go, but I have to tell my boss what my plans are."

Officer Jenny nodded. "Then I guess that's settled. You go on ahead. I'll deal with the body over there," she pointed to Hypno's corpse. "I'll also report what happened to the authorities."

Soon the workers had returned to their work and Vander was on his way back to the Mistralton Cargo Company Warehouse with Dusknoir in tow.

While her father understood, Skyla was not pleased with his decision. "You can't even fly with Firebrand yet!"

"I know," Vander replied, still reeling from her high-pitched yelling. "I just…I have to find out what's going on. Besides, you'll only be here for another week. I don't think much will change in that time."

"But I'll be bored!"

Dusknoir watched the interaction with mild annoyance. Then it noticed the other three pokémon staring. Vega seemed to take particular interest. _I shouldn't appear too much in a rush. I guess I could be a bit more accommodating as long as it's only a week's delay. I'm sure the master won't mind._

Vander was about to respond when he heard Dusknoir's voice in his head.

"_A week's delay is no problem. Just as long as we don't take too long I'm sure we can stay until your friend leaves. My trainer…Agatha…will not mind."_ Dusknoir then glanced at Vega. While it couldn't tell what the starfish was thinking, there was no obvious reason for concern.

Skyla's face lit up and she immediately reached out to grab hold of Vander's arm. "Did you hear that?" She began shaking him. "You don't have to go now! You can stay a little longer!"

"Fine. Just stop shaking me!"

With the matter settled, Vander continued his usual routine for the remaining week. As predicted he made little progress in flight training, though he did memorize all of the flight commands Skyla had taught him.

Vega's psychic sense seemed to flare up less often. Perhaps it was because the drowsee had left the area. However, Vega had also learned better control of its sixth sense through daily meditation. It was almost the exact opposite of Cosmo, who had showed no increase in power or ability.

Ironhide no longer had to lift cargo with the new crane installed. He mostly practiced his old moves and sparred with Firebrand. Rock Slide training was the still the most frustrating thing he had ever tried.

Firebrand also maintained her current move set, though her speed and power seemed to increase. She had also memorized all the flight commands Skyla had taught her and hoped Vander would work up the nerve to continue the training on his own.

XXXOXXX

At the end of the week, Skyla and her father got ready to return to Unova along with all the employees that had gurdurr. Vander was also packed as there was no more reason for him to linger in Vermillion.

"Goodbye," Skyla gave Vander a hug as they said their goodbyes on the docks. Her father was getting a large cargo airplane ready for transport. "You should come visit us in Unova later."

Vander smiled as he returned the hug. "I promise I will." He was also ready to leave, having his fully stocked backpack and utility belt on hand.

They broke apart and Skyla followed her father into the large aquatic aircraft.

Vander and his pokémon stayed to watch as the airplane pulled back into deeper water before turning out to sea and steadily taking to the air. They only left when it had disappeared into the horizon.

Once they were ready to leave, Vander recalled Firebrand, Vega, and Ironhide. Cosmo remained balanced on his shoulder as he turned to join Dusknoir.

"_Now you are ready to accompany me to Lavender Town?"_

Vander nodded and then they began their long eastward walk.

It would take at least three days for them to reach the town.


	11. The Road to Lavender Town

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon or have any rights to it.

* * *

They had camped out in the same spot for two days. Vander needed to spend extra time foraging after the frost at the start of their journey. Fortunately, it had melted by the end of the day and didn't return the next. It was how the weather worked in areas south of Viridian City.

Vander sat next to his sleeping bag, watching his pokémon as they trained. Even with his breathe visible, his red hoodie kept him comfortable. Thick fingerless gloves were an acceptable compromise between warmth and dexterity. He began a crude sketch of Firebrand testing her strength against Ironhide.

The outcome always seemed predetermined.

Ironhide was definitely had more physical strength, though Firebrand was improving noticeably. He had to exert a little more effort each time they sparred.

Firebrand pushed against Ironhide's head with all her strength. The claws of her feet dug into the ground, making small trenches as he slowly pushed her back.

Vander's gaze drifted from her swollen flame to her stiff outstretched wings. _She always pushes her wings out when exerting herself. Does it help or is it a habit?_ He finished a crude sketched before the contest ended. _Now I'll add more details._

Firebrand let out a deep breath and flexed her sore arms and fingers. Then a few wing flaps had her airborne where she began her daily survey of their campsite.

Vander had chosen and open field near the edge of a forest. It was a few minutes walk from Route 11 and provided excellent shelter from cold winter winds.

Cosmo was busy scampering around the field, smelling different plants and foreign objects in the area. However, he knew better than to stray too far.

A large hole showed where Ironhide had burrowed to replenish his strength and then practice underground battling. He would most likely stay under for an at least hour.

Her eyes then fell on Vega who seemed to be staring at Dusknoir in its spare time. She wasn't particularly fond of the ghost, but it had shown some worth. With her inspection finished Firebrand entered into her normal routine.

Vander smiled as he finished the sketch and returned the sketchbook to his backpack. He looked up at Firebrand who practiced in spite of the muscle fatigue. "She's really pushing herself. I'm so proud."

Firebrand was panting as with every Metal Claw. However, she could feel her body slowly adapting. She was currently three days into her routine.

Dusknoir chuckled as it hovered near Vander. _"No doubt she wishes to make a good impression on my trainer."_ _Yes…though she will no doubt be in suboptimal condition when we reach Lavender Town._

Firebrand twisted her torso for an Iron Tail. Then struck with Steel Wing, though the metallic glow only enveloped her right wing. She then sprang back with a flap of her wings, used Mega Kick then followed through with two Mega Punches. Her last move was a Flamethrower. Once finished, she descended to rest.

"I think that's enough for today." Vander got up and approached her with a handful of dark red berries. "Here," he said as he handed them to her. Then he began scratching her chin.

Firebrand gulped down the last berry before purring. Her chest heaved as exhaustion set in.

Vander stepped away so she could lie down near the edge of the forest. Then he knelt and put his ear to the ground. He soon heard the rumbling as Ironhide moved about underground. _He's been pushing himself too. That Rock Slide training is really getting to him._

"_He must have a clear mind to enter the theta state,"_ Dusknoir said, floating closer to him. _"Then and only then can he envision and access the pocket dimension."_

Vander sighed and sat down. "I really wish I knew what was bothering him. Not that he's been disturbed, but whenever he clears his mind it seems like something else comes out. If only I could talk to him telepathically. Maybe then-"

"_Never mind that,"_ Dusknoir cut in. _"His emotional baggage is most likely rooted in past experiences. Think about his background. Has he ever failed or disappointed you or anyone else?"_

"I was never disappointed in him," Vander replied. "Maybe he thinks he failed me at some point. Could his failure to access the pocket dimension be causing some sort of feedback loop?"

"_Feedback loop?"_ Dusknoir shrugged. _"Perhaps. However I would suggest looking into yourself first. It's my understanding that you've got some baggage of your own. I've seen the scars on your back and forearms. What happened to you?"_

Vander took a deep breath and ran a hand through his hair. "Almost two years ago, there was an incident in Pallet Town, a place near where I lived. Someone…or some group of people attack us. My father was killed and this man…he kidnapped my sister." He glanced at Firebrand, who was resting with her eyes closed. "She was there too, just a charmander. She didn't stand a chance against that man's venusaur."

"_That's when you got your scars?"_

Vander shook his head. "I got the scars on my back when a honchkrow tried to peck me to death. The ones on my forearms were when a machamp hit me with Stone Edge." Then Vander's eyes widened.

"_You realized something?"_

"Yes." Vander thought back to the battle with Machamp.

Firebrand fell after Ironhide was hit with a Dynamic Punch and forced out of the battle. Then when he came back, Vander had to distract Machamp for him to deal the finishing blow.

"That's it. He feels the same way I did when I couldn't save my sister." _Also, Earl and Marsha…they were under his protection._

"_Good,"_ Dusknoir replied. _"Figuring out the issue is the first step. Now how are you going to help him push his guilt and frustration aside in the heat of battle?"_

"I…don't know." Vander sighed. "I'll start by talking to him about it, but that'll have to wait until he comes back up." The conversation ended and Vander then turned his attention to Cosmo.

The feline was currently rolling around in the grass. Small bits of plant matter were sticking to his thicker winter coat.

He went to his backpack and extracted a brush. "Alright Cosmo, it's time for your daily grooming."

Cosmo perked up and bounded towards his trainer. He jumped into the boy's lap and sat still, like an obedient dog as Vander began brushing the knots and debris from his fur.

With Vander occupied, Dusknoir decided to fly off for a little while. It needed to converse with its cohorts. On its way, Dusknoir caught Vega staring after it. _"Is there a problem?"_

The starfish remained silent as the ghost floated closer. Its psychic sense hadn't picked up any disturbances since they left Vermillion.

Dusknoir stared at the starfish for at least a minute. _Freak!_ It floated back and said _"I'm just going to scout ahead. Plus a ghost needs some alone time once in a while."_

Vega remained like a statue.

"_I should be back before dusk."_ Dusknoir began to float away, turning around once to make sure Vega wasn't following.

The starfish remained immobile as the ghost floated away. Its journey soon took it to the seaside path, Route 12.

It was a long road flanked by sidewalks. There were several small towns and fishing docks along the oceanic side. Following it north would lead to Lavender Town while moving south took one near Fuchsia City.

It was along this path that Dusknoir encountered them.

There were three small white candle-like ghost pokémon with blue flames atop their heads. They circled Dusknoir, cackling to each other. Tongue-less flames flickered excitedly.

"_You were supposed to have the boy here by now,"_ cackled one.

"_The master will not be pleased,"_ added another.

Dusknoir let out what sounded like a mix of a sigh and a growl. _"That stupid child insists on taking extra time to train his pokémon! Rest assured, he is on the way and does not suspect a thing."_

"_What shall we tell the master?"_

"_Tell her not to worry. His arrival, while late, is inevitable. It will be, at most, a one-week delay."_

The three smaller ghosts began cackling as they formed a circle and began floating away. Dusknoir watched them for a few seconds before turning back to return to the camp.

XXXOXXX

Ironhide growled as he tunneled through the ground. He was no longer consuming soil, opting to shove the dirt aside. The earth caved to him like butter. Then he came upon a large rock.

It was definitely among the hardest he had ever felt. So hard, that it forced him to back away.

Ironhide's head began to glow bright and turned metallic. He began ramming it into the rock, breaking off chunks with each strike.

Soon an ever-widening crater formed at the point of impact. Cracks formed as the rock slowly shattered, its internal structure compromised.

Ironhide broke through with a heave that fully shattered the rock. He had little trouble burrowing through the resulting collection of hard cracked fragments. As he moved he began using Rock Polish. Soon he was tunneling at a rate of seventy miles per hour. The pace lasted for several hours. Suddenly the ground gave far too easily and he fell into a large subterranean cavern.

It was almost as large as those in Mt Miyazaki. While lacking artificial light, bioluminescent microbes on the ceiling allowed him to see.

Ironhide looked around and then closed his eyes to determine his location. Using the magnetite in his brain he realized that he had traveled north.

The place was definitely a dwelling for subterranean pokémon. It was most likely part of either Rock Tunnel.

Ironhide soon confirmed this when three average sized onix emerged from one of the connected tunnels.

They were all panting and their eyes went wide at the sight of Ironhide.

He let out a friendly growl to try and calm them down. It seemed to work.

However they soon bolted away from the tunnel and cowered behind him. All three were shaking.

Ironhide then felt the rumbling of something large coming through the ground. He frowned and briefly turned to look at the three onix behind him.

Though small compared to him, they were still among the largest pokémon in the world.

The source of their fear soon erupted from the tunnel ahead, widening the entrance in the process. It was another giant onix, most likely a refugee from Machamp's reign of terror. Judging by the scars adorning its rocky hide, it had fought several harsh battles. Its most striking injury was a broken crest, most likely shattered by one of Machamp's attacks.

Ironhide growled as he had before.

At first the other onix seemed taken aback by the presence of another giant. However it soon shook its head, eyes clouding up. Then it let out an earsplitting roar before charging.

XXXOXXX

Firebrand sighed as she flapped her wings. She was currently flying a mere ten feet above the open field near their campsite. While not at full strength she was sure a preteen boy and his eevee could be flown a little higher.

Cosmo turned to pout, his face puffing up like an angry jigglypuff.

Vander had to resist the urge to smile. "Come on Cosmo. Be glad we're flying at all." _I'll bet Firebrand's rolling her eyes now._ "Look…I'm…I don't feel as safe without Skyla here. Okay?"

Firebrand grunted and shook her head.

Cosmo sighed and looked up at the clear blue sky.

Firebrand circled around and headed back to the camp where Vega was waiting. She rolled her eyes when Vander gave her a double tap and landed a few minutes later. When her trainer dismounted she laid flat on her belly and grumbled.

Cosmo sighed, his ears drooping. Looking up at the sky he longingly recalled the much longer flights they used to have during their month with Skyla.

Vega made its gem flash and beep. It cheered him up a little.

Vander sat next to Firebrand and began scratching her chin. "Look…I'll ask the Professor to give me flying lessons later. Okay?"

She turned her neck to give his cheek a playful lick.

Vander smiled, though he promptly wiped the saliva from his cheek. "Maybe we should go to Pallet Town once we're finished here. We're not ready for the Fuchsia Gym and there are other strong gyms in Western Kanto." He nodded as if agreeing with himself. "Your parents can even give us pointers."

Firebrand smiled and laid her head on the ground. She tried to imagine the look on her parents' faces when they saw how big she was.

Vander's gaze drifted to the large hole in the ground. He got up and moved to stare into it. Then he put his ear to the ground. A frown appeared when he failed to pick up any sign of movement. _Where has Ironhide gotten to?_

"_Something troubling you?"_

Vander looked up and saw Dusknoir floating above him. "Oh you're back. I was just wondering what happened to Ironhide. He hasn't resurfaced and it's already close to sunset. I can't even sense him moving underground so he's gone far away."

_Perfect! Yet another potential setback! _Dusknoir placed a hand on the boy's shoulder. _"I am sure that Ironhide can take care of himself. He lived on that mountain for quite a few years before you arrived. His chances of survival are high. What could possible threaten a giant onix down there?"_

XXXOXXX

The blow sent Ironhide crashing into the side of the cavern. He recovered quickly, but was panting. While his defenses held strong his stamina wasn't needed replenishing. It didn't help that he had wanted to end the conflict peacefully.

The other onix roared before throwing its massive bulk towards him.

Ironhide swerved right, evading the attack before pinning the other onix with his weight.

It began thrashing its body sideways.

The three smaller onix cringed at its terrible roars.

Ironhide opened his mouth to Screech. The sound only seemed to anger his opponent.

It threw him off with a mighty heave before lunging and biting onto a segment near his head.

Ironhide roared, thrashing back and forth.

The other onix maintained a firm hold and slammed him into the cavern floor.

Ironhide's attempt to rise up was cut short with a sharp tail slam to the back of his head. The blow missed his crest by inches.

With Ironhide down, the other onix turned back to the three spectators and used Screech.

Ironhide opened his eyes and saw the three onix cringing under the terrible sound. One look in his opponent's eyes told him everything.

The other giant was deranged. Its brain had likely been damaged by the same injury that had destroyed its head crest. Perhaps the degeneration had taken months.

Though his muscles were sore Ironhide rose up. His face was solemn at the new revelation.

The other onix noticed him and lunged.

Ironhide met it with an Ironhead. When the two heads collided, his opponent crumpled almost instantly. Looming over his downed foe, Ironhide took a moment to contemplate his next move.

For a moment it seemed the deranged giant was unconscious. Then it suddenly reared up and roared! Its eyes looked almost pure white, resembling those of a vengeful ghost.

In one swift move, Ironhide enveloped his tail in a metallic glow and brought it down on his opponent's head.

There was a deafening crack.

The other giant fell. Its body went limp. Soil colored blood began oozing from the top of its head. Eyes remained pure white with soil-colored blood oozing out like tears.

Ironhide panted, eyes wide as he stared down at his fallen foe. Perhaps this onix had once been his friend. While he failed to recognize it, time and injuries had drastically altered its appearance.

The other three cowered when Ironhide's gaze shifted to them. However they soon saw the moistening of his eyes. Soon they were moving to comfort him.

Ironhide let out an agonized cry that echoed though the underground cavern and the network of connected tunnel. It even traveled into Rock Tunnel, startling any people or pokémon that were in that area.

XXXOXXX

Vander sighed in relief when he placed his ear to the ground and felt the telltale rumbling. He stepped away from the hole as Ironhide emerged.

He was like a tall and powerful tower of rock. However the various cracks and scratches gave away his exhaustion.

Vander stepped forward with wide eyes. "What happened? You got in a fight?" He began circling the rock snake, examining each segment. "What did this to you?"

Firebrand, Cosmo, and Vega also approached to examine his injuries.

Ironhide let out a weak growl before stretching out over the field. His eyes shut, as Vander looked him over.

"These wounds…something big and hard must've hit you." Then his eyes widened. "Ironhide! Where did you go? Point in the direction you traveled." He saw the rock snake raise a tail segment and point. "That's…north. Rock Tunnel?"

Ironhide raised his head and nodded.

"So you battled another onix." He received another nod. "Must have been a big one." Turning to his other pokémon, he said, "you three go on and rest. I'll tend to Ironhide." He recalled Vega.

The starfish was clearly not adapted to the colder nights.

Firebrand returned to lounging near the forest. Her muscles had felt sore since the end of her flight. The previous day's exertion was also catching up to her. Fortunately her internal furnace counteracted the cold weather.

Cosmo curled up on Vander's sleeping bag. Though he looked asleep his eyes would reopen after sunset when the stars came out.

Dusknoir was not bothered by the cold. It remained floating around the trees. Nobody in the group knew what would do during the nights. The ghost was currently hovering close to Vander. _"He doesn't look too beaten up. I am sure he will be ready for travel in a few days."_

"Actually he just needs to rest tonight, right Ironhide?"

The rock snake responded with a growl before rising up to slither back underground. Soil was the best cure for his surface wounds. It only took him a few minutes to reorient himself with his head poking out of the hole.

"Good night Ironhide," Vander said as he moved back to his sleeping bag.

Cosmo had gotten up and was staring up at the stars. He moved so Vander could move the sleeping bag.

Vander placed the bag near Ironhide's hole before removing his boots and utility belt. Then he crawled inside to sleep. "I'll be right here if you need me," he said before closing his eyes. He smiled when he heard Ironhide's appreciative growl.

XXXOXXX

Vander was thankful to for the frostless night. However he still awoke with a congested nose. He felt Cosmo stirring inside the bag when tried to sit up.

Ironhide noticed Vander's movement and greeted him with a growl. Most of his body was still submerged.

"Good morning," Vander replied as he carefully moved Cosmo aside. After extricating himself from the bag and putting on his boots and belt he briefly surveyed the campsite.

Firebrand was still sleeping near his backpack and where the campfire had been. Her flame was double its normal size to compensate for the cold.

_I wonder if I should call her back. I'm sure sleeping in the cold puts some kind of strain on her._ Vander then looked up at the sky and frowned when he saw the clouds above. "There will be more frost today. We should probably move along."

Ironhide growled and nodded.

Vander sighed, walking over to the rock snake. "If only Firebrand didn't insist on sleeping out with us when we camped out. She can handle the cold, but I think it's putting some kind of strain on her. If it were warmer she would be up by now."

Ironhide nodded before looking over at the fire lizard.

Vander took a deep breath before giving Ironhide a friendly pat. "I want to talk to you about something."

The rock snake pulled back underground until his head was the only part poking out. It was so Vander could speak to him at eye level.

"It's about your training for Rock Slide."

Ironhide's face fell.

"I'm not mad or disappointed," Vander added. "I'm just…worried that something's been bothering you. I didn't notice until we started training for Rock Slide." He met the rock snake's eyes. "Please tell me what's wrong. Does it have anything to do with Machamp?"

Ironhide let out a deep, growl-like, sigh.

Vander nodded. "You were sort of distracted from it by our journey. Then you remembered it when trying to clear your mind."

Ironhide nodded.

"You were great…the way you beat Machamp. Maybe we weren't ready yet, but we still won." Vander paused to look carefully at Ironhide before continuing. "Earl and Marsha…they would be proud I think." He could feel a knot forming in his chest.

Ironhide's eyes moistened and he shut them. It was more to keep out the cold than conceal them from Vander.

Vander hugged Ironhide's head, ignoring how cold it felt. "I know it felt too lucky. I promise when we find the next bad guy we'll win properly." He pulled back to look at him. "Remember the guy who killed my dad?"

Ironhide nodded.

"When we find him, we'll be a lot stronger than we are now." The knot began to fade from his chest. "We'll beat him into the ground." Vander tried to resist the urge to smile.

Ironhide responded with another nod. Vander had told him about the Pallet Town incident during their training for the rematch with Machamp. He looked forward to meeting the man who set Vander on his current path.

"_Ah you're awake."_

They both looked up and saw Dusknoir floating several feet above them.

"We're going to be leaving this place today," Vander said before looking up at the sky.

"_A wise decision,"_ replied the ghost. _"How soon?"_

Vander stepped away from Ironhide before kneeling next to his sleeping bag. "I'll wake Cosmo and Firebrand. Then we'll head out after breakfast."

"_Shall I assist in the packing?"_

"That would be nice," Vander replied. "Thank you."

It took less than an hour to wake everyone and have breakfast. Firebrand naturally offered to fly Vander the remaining distance, but the boy refused. Soon they were back on Route 11, bound for Route 12. Dusknoir traveled alongside Vander and Cosmo remained tucked inside his red hoodie.

XXXOXXX

The remainder of their trip to Lavender Town was mostly uneventful.

Vander had felt even colder close to the ocean. However his fear of flight overrode his aversion to the cold. "It might be even colder up there," he told Firebrand when she had offered.

Fortunately, they had found a Pokémon Center along Route 12.

Once checked in, Vander contacted Molly over the videophone. It had been a few weeks since his last call.

"Hello Vander," she exclaimed cheerfully. "How are you? What have you been up to since New Years?"

"I'm heading to Lavender Town," he replied.

Cosmo leapt onto the desk and in front of the phone's monitor. He squealed excitedly when he saw Molly.

She chuckled. "He's as energetic as ever. It looks like you've been brushing him as well."

"Every day," Vander replied. "It'll last until he loses his winter coat. Then he won't shed as often." He gave the feline a playful scratch behind the ear.

"So why are you heading to Lavender Town? There aren't any strong gyms around there." Then her eyes widened. "You're trying to catch a ghost type?"

Vander shook his head. "Actually I met a dusknoir that says he belongs to Agatha of the Elite Four. It's taking me there to see her." When he saw the confused look on her face Vander launched into an explanation of the events starting with Vega's psychic sense and the battle with the drowsee."

Molly frowned and cupped her chin. "I don't know…I guess only an Elite Four member or a ghost expert like Agatha could train a dusknoir to have such advanced skills. Still…Just keep your wits about you. Especially since Lavender Town is filled with ghosts. That pokémon type is famous for playing tricks."

"I will," Vander replied. "I'm sure my pokémon can handle any of the ghost types in the area."

Molly nodded, though the frown never left her face until Vander asked about her pokémon.

Webster and Willow were their normal selves, but Jeb had apparently been training.

"He really wants to test you when you finally decide to challenge me," Molly said. "He might even be a machamp the next time you see him."

Vander smiled and nodded. "I'll look forward to that."

The call ended shortly after and Vander left the Pokémon Center the next morning. Maintaining a steady pace, he managed to reach Lavender Town around sunset.

"_Here we are,"_ Dusknoir said, gesturing proudly to the small, gloomy looking town.

From a distance it looked like an isolated suburb. The streets were paved and the area was well developed, but most businesses were run out of buildings nigh indistinguishable from regular houses. Few houses got more than one and a half stories.

The town's main building was the Pokémon Tower. Roughly five stories tall, the tower had a sinister appearance. It was cylindrical with a gothic roof. Two windows and a balcony in between them overlooked the main path leading up to the tower. A pair of devil horns made the top of the towers front resemble the face of a pinsir.

Much of the land around the tower was dedicated to the Pokémon Cemetery. Many trainers came to Lavender Town only to bury their dead. It was the main reason the town existed. Lavender Town likely had more undertakers per square mile than any other place on the planet.

Vander immediately thought of a similar place, Unova's Celestial Tower. _Except that Mistralton City isn't nearly as fixated on death as Lavender Town_, he mused as he sought out the Pokémon Center. "So where exactly does Agatha live?"

"_Somewhere near the outskirts,"_ Dusknoir replied. _"More towards Rock Tunnel."_ It pointed to the large mountain that was barely visible through the mist that hung over the town.

They remained silent for a while after that.

"Finally!" Vander sighed when they found the Pokémon Center. _The one place here dedicated to life instead of death._

"_Hold on,"_ Dusknoir placed a hand on the boy's shoulder before he could step closer. _"Before you settle in for the night, I'd like you to follow me to the Pokémon Tower. Agatha's instructions."_

Vander shrugged. "Okay."

Cosmo whined as he poked his head out of Vander's hoodie.

"Don't worry," Vander replied as they turned away from the Center. "Agatha's one of the Elite Four. She must have a good reason for this. Since we already know where the center is we'll be able to come back really quickly. I promise."

Cosmo's ears drooped, but he made no further complaints.

The Tower was a lot easier to locate, being the tallest building in town. It was a more or less straight shot from the Pokémon Center, though appeared to be located at the town's outer limits.

_For a town obsessed with death they definitely like to stay away from it_, Vander mused when he noted how far out they had to come before reaching the foot of the tower.

Dusknoir felt a powerful presence through its antenna. _Ah…yes this is the perfect spot._ Its one eye began glowing bright red.

Vander noticed and raised an eyebrow. "Dusknoir? What are you…doing?" His eyes widened when he saw the red portal forming behind it. "What is that?"

XXXOXXX

Blackthorn was not the biggest city in Western Kanto, but it was home to what was considered the most powerful trainer families in the entire region.

Along the old, yet well-maintained cobblestone streets walked a grumpy old woman with a cane. Her hair was short and blonde, curling at the end. She wore a simple dark blue dress with long sleeves and a white collar. A frilly white apron was tied around waist. While clearly old, she was also strong for her age; one could say she had aged gracefully.

Those few who shared the streets with her all murmured to one another as she passed by. They all clearly knew who she was.

Agatha grumbled to herself as she approached the Police Station. She had stopped several times during her walk from the gym to lean on her cane and catch her breath. "This had better be important," she snapped upon entering the building.

"Ma'am there's an Officer Jenny on the line for you," said the clerk. "She's calling all the way from Vermillion City."

"Fine, I'll take it," she replied and approached the appropriate videophone.

Officer Jenny's face brightened up when she saw her.

"What's all this about?"

"Um…hello miss Agatha," replied the Officer politely. "We've been looking for you. We tried the center in Lavender Town, but they said you were all the way in Western Kanto. I must say it's an honor speaking with one of the El-"

"Spit it out already! I don't have all day!"

Though taken aback, the Officer continued, albeit more hesitantly. "I was just calling to say that the boy your dusknoir was watching over is on his way to Lavender Town."

Agatha leaned forward, her eyes wide. "What in the name of Arceus are you talking about?" She pulled out one of her Dusk Ball and placed it in front of the screen. "My one and only dusknoir is right here in this ball!"

The Officer Jenny flinched, along with everyone within earshot on both ends of the call. "Well since it was so powerful and well-trained we just assumed that-"

"Idiot!" Agatha's outburst was even louder than before. "It's beyond me how someone as incompetent as you became a member of the police force! Never make assumptions like that! You shouldn't have let the boy leave until you contacted me! Now he's off somewhere with a strange and powerful dusknoir! Wild dusknoir can be very dangerous!"

Officer Jenny gasped, placing a hand over her mouth. Her eyes were wide. "I…I'm sorry-"

"Never mind!" Agatha moved away from the phone. "It look's like I'll have return to Eastern Kanto!" She then stormed out of the Station to make the appropriate arrangements, muttering to herself about incompetent police officers.

XXXOXXX

"What…what is that…Dusknoir?" Vander's instincts told him to take a step back. His hands immediately dove into his pant's pockets to grab his three other poké balls.

Cosmo wormed out of Vander's hoodie and hopped onto the ground. He eyed the portal with wide eyes, fascinated, yet unnerved.

"_This is a portal to the Spirit World,"_ Dusknoir replied calmly. _"I can only open it in a select few locations."_ It spread its arms wide. _"The people who first came here to bury their pokémon chose this spot for its spiritual significance."_

Vander frowned and maximized the three balls in his hands. He dropped them moments before Dusknoir's Psychic took hold of him.

Cosmo ran up to the balls, tapping each once to release its occupant.

"Guys help," Vander cried out as his three other pokémon appeared. Psychic soon rendered him mute.

Though Firebrand moved first, Vega appeared to move the fastest. Launching itself towards Dusknoir it attempted to strike it with Water Gun.

Dusknoir's Shadow Punch struck first. The disembodied black fist seemed to come out of nowhere. It struck Vega's gem, sending the starfish crashing to the pavement, gem down.

Firebrand would have used Flamethrower had Vander not been in Dusknoir's clutches by the time she got airborne. Her flame swelled, turning into a violent bluish white inferno.

Ironhide opened his mouth and Screeched.

Cosmo ran off to the side and cowered, covering his large ears to block out the sound.

Dusknoir seemed to lose focus and dropped Vander.

Firebrand dove for him.

The ghost recovered quickly and swooped in to grab the boy moments before Firebrand could reach him. _"Feeling a bit sluggish? Perhaps an extra day at that Center would have helped after all."_

Vander struggled, but couldn't even speak while under the ghost's Psychic hold.

Dusknoir made for the portal, but Firebrand blocked its way.

She rushed towards the ghost, claws glowing and fangs bared.

Dusknoir swerved aside from her attack. It then evaded Ironhide as he attempted to bind it before throwing Vander.

Firebrand caught him just as Ironhide missed an Iron Tail.

"_Too slow!"_ Dusknoir spread its arms before emitting a series of red rings from its eye.

Vander, Firebrand and Ironhide were caught in the Hypnosis before they could shut their eyes or move.

"_All too easy,"_ Dusknoir said as it reclaimed Vander with Psychic. With the two larger pokémon down and the boy dangling from its right arm, Dusknoir turned to enter the portal.

Vega propped itself up with two arms to watch Vander and Dusknoir.

Cosmo approached it and hissed. His fur was bristling as his back arched.

Dusknoir chuckled as it turned to the feline. _"And what exactly are you going to do?" _It approached Cosmo, looming over him expectantly.

Cosmo's ears drooped and he backed away with a whine. His bravado had lasted only seconds.

"_Thought so," _replied the ghost before entering the portal.

"Hyah!"

Cosmo jumped and then watched with wide eyes as Vega launched into the air, spinning like a shuriken as it entered the portal.

The portal closed moments later. Several minutes passed before the two larger pokémon stirred.

Upon awakening, Firebrand glanced around to find her trainer. Her flame swelled to quadruple its normal size to provide ample light. She heard a whine and looked down to see Cosmo with two regular poké balls and a great ball in front of him.

Ironhide opened his eyes groggily before the memory of past events came flooding back. His eyes widened and he reared up to his full height for a better look.

Cosmo's ears drooped as he whined out what he had seen to the other two.

The fire lizard was shaking as the story ended. Her tail flame shrank drastically as if running out of oxygen or fuel. Claws clenched into fists as her eyes moistened.

Ironhide shut his own moist eyes.

Cosmo curled into a ball and began shaking.

Throwing her head back, Firebrand let out an agonized roar. Tears flowed freely from her eyes. Her cry could be heard for miles.


	12. Queen of the Spirit World

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon or have any rights to it.

**Note:** This was originally going to be one chapter, but I decided to break it into two.

* * *

Vega maintained its Rapid Spin after passing through the portal. It barely noticed the almost instantaneous transition into the Spirit World. The psychic sense allowed it to home in on Dusknoir.

The ghost's own psychic sense seemed to trigger too late. It turned just in time to get smacked in the gut. _"What!"_ Dusknoir dropped the boy in its shock before the momentum from the blow sent it crashing into a blue glowing mountain. _"No!"_

After gently setting the boy down with its psychic powers, Vega turned to the screaming ghost. "Hyah?" It watched curiously as Dusknoir's body sizzled against the glowing mountain.

The ghost managed to pull itself off before dropping to the ground, unconscious. Smoke billowed from its body.

Vega turned to spray some water on Vander.

"C-Cut it out!" He sat up after a few minutes, and quickly removed his backpack and drenched hoodie. Eyes widening, he scrambled to his feet and looked around. "Where…Is this the..."

"Hyah!" Vega floated closer to its trainer.

"Um…Vega. I think we're in the…Spirit World." That last word came out as a whisper. Vander was almost speechless as he stared out at the dark blue expanse.

The sky was a dark purple color with no signs of any celestial bodies. Light seemed to be omnipresent, though it was never too bright or dull to see. The ground was made of a dark blue earth and electric blue mountains dotted the landscape. Some of the mountains, including the one Dusknoir had knocked into, were glowing with a strange energy.

At first his heart raced. Then, when he saw the unconscious ghost and realized there was no immediate danger, Vander dropped to his hands and knees. His eyes shut as his head drooped. "We're trapped," he whimpered. "Now what do we do?"

Vega turned and floated closer to the discarded backpack. "Hyah!"

Vander looked up through hanging locks of hair. He slowly stood and walked over the backpack. Taking a deep breath, he said, "I guess we should look at what we've got."

Vega nodded before turning to stand guard over the unconscious dusknoir.

"Let's see," Vander said as he emptied the contents of his backpack. The he removed the objects attached to his utility belt and emptied his pants pockets. "We've pretty much got all out supplies here…except three poké balls. The one here is Cosmo's." Vander held up the luxury ball for Vega.

The sketchbook and notebook soon went back into the front pouch.

Vander then re-assembled his utility belt. His knife, flashlight, med-kit, and map holder were indispensible. He had also added two spare pouches onto the belt, meant to hold miscellaneous objects he came across. They had yet to be used.

Dusknoir's hand twitched. It was far too subtle for even Vega to notice.

The starfish was partially distracted by Vander.

"I think we should avoid getting rid of any of this," he said, placing the compressed sleeping bag and another compressed bag containing a week's worth of spare clothes in the backpack's main pouch. "All of this stuff could come in handy." He looked over the remaining supplies.

The largest among them was the cooking pot, in which Vander kept all the weeds and berries he had collected. Then there was Firebrand's meat and Cosmo's brush. Vander's wallet was the smallest object and he quickly returned it to his pant's pocket along with Cosmo's luxury ball.

"Well…we can always get more food if we cross back over so I think we should only take the food we need." He then put Cosmo's brush in one of the side pockets. "Since it's just us two, we should only take the food we can eat."

Firebrand and Cosmo's favorite berries were discarded almost immediately. While they could theoretically be eaten, Vander determined they would be better off eating something else and carrying less weight.

He frowned as he looked over Firebrand's meat. "I could eat this, but…" He read over the package labels. "Dehydrated…and I don't we can afford to spend any water on this." He reluctantly set the meat aside before returning the pot off food to the backpack's main pouch. "Wow," he said as he lifted the back. "It definitely feels lighter. I guess Firebrand's meat really made a difference."

"Hyah!" Vega turned to Vander and nodded.

The two turned to leave.

"_Where do you think you're going?"_

They froze and turned just as a Shadow Punch connected with Vega's gem.

As the starfish fell, Dusknoir extended its hand, pulling Vander towards it with Psychic. _"Now little boy,"_ it said in a smooth psychic voice. _"I will take you to see my real master. You will make a great meal for her."_

"Hyah!" Vega sprang back up and used Power Gem.

As expected, Dusknoir swerved aside, allowing the attack to hit the glowing blue mountain.

Dusknoir ignored the chunks of glowing rock on the ground and chuckled. _"Are you actually that stupid. Not only can't you beat me, but I could have easily used your own trainer as a shield."_

Vega immediately spun towards Dusknoir.

The ghost knocked it aside with a backhand.

As he dangled in Dusknoir's grasp, Vander took note of the event. _It had to block or counter. Dusknoir couldn't phase through Rapid Spin like in our world. That means…_

Dusknoir began firing Shadow balls from its free hand. It was so focused on trying to hit Vega that Vander's actions didn't register.

The boy slowly moved his hand to the knife on his belt and silently slipped it out of the sheath. Gripping it tightly, he waited until Dusknoir paused before driving the blade into its gut.

Dusknoir cried out, dropping the boy and tearing the knife from its gut.

Vega used the opportunity to pick up several glowing rock fragments with Psychic. It hurled them at the pained ghost.

Vander looked up with wide eyes and watched the fragments make holes in the ghost's body. _Those stones…they must have some kind of effect on ghosts!_ He wasted no time scrambling over to the mountain to gather more fragments.

Dusknoir shivered as it dropped to the ground. _A-at least they missed my vitals…_ The holes in its body began to heal up, though the damage had clearly taken its toll. It hastily brought up its hands to block a barrage of Swift and Water Gun from Vega. _"Accursed starfish! I'll take you out first!"_

Vega was like a machine gun, firing Swift from its gem while its five back legs spun and fired Water Guns.

"_You…little…"_ Dusknoir felt its strength waning. Vega's barrage wasn't helping either. Then it suddenly felt excruciating pain in its backside.

Vega stopped the onslaught when it saw Vander standing behind Dusknoir.

"How'd you like that Dusknoir?" Vander's voice was filed with venom as he stabbed the fragment further into the ghosts back. The hole it made allowed him to drive the fragment even deeper. "You think we're easy prey?"

"_P-Please…"_ Its voice sounded weak and distorted. Dusknoir's ghostly body looked like chocolate under hot sun, slowly melting away.

Vander's gaze remained fierce. His hear thumped and as his breathing picked up. "You won't be coming back. Ever!" To prove his point he grabbed another stone in his free hand and shoved it into Dusknoir.

With a final wail, the ghost melted away. All that remained was a dark puddle of ectoplasm lying at Vander's feet.

Vander breathed deeply to calm himself. Then he extracted the glowing stones from the ectoplasm, waiting patiently for it to completely slide off them. He then turned to Vega with a frown. "Dusknoir said something about its real master."

Vega nodded.

"We'll probably be seeing more ghosts." He moved to gather more of the stones and stuffed them into his spare pouches. Once satisfied, he retrieved his knife and they began their journey.

Neither knew where to go.

XXXOXXX

Being inside a poké ball was unique experience.

Ironhide no longer had any awareness of his body. Physical aches and pains seemed to disappear. His emotional stress was all that remained.

Naturally, Firebrand had stayed out of her ball to look after Cosmo. She then insisted Ironhide return to his so she could take them all to the nearest Pokémon Center. It was the only safe place in town she had known about.

While he had some awareness of what went on outside, Ironhide soon chose to block it out. Once he knew they were safe inside the Center, he began replaying the battle with Dusknoir in his head.

Could using Rock Polish earlier have changed the outcome? Would using Screech repeatedly have been a better option?

He wasn't sure, nor could he be. Instead he opted to listen to the outside world. Sound was all he could sense within the ball. After several minutes of careful focus he heard a faint grumbling.

Firebrand was sleeping nearby. The sound of her breathing drowned everything else out.

With nothing outside to latch onto, Ironhide was alone with his thoughts.

"_I promise when we find the next bad guy we'll win properly."_

Had he been out of the ball, Ironhide would have shaken his head. It was like being underground without his sense of touch or magnetism combined with paralysis.

The environment encouraged sleep.

It was all he could do. Sleep, listen, or let his mind wander. He chose the first option and soon began dreaming.

_He was back in the underground cavern. _

_However this time, there were no other onix and the only source of light came from a strange purple blob floating at the center. There were five pudgy pok__é__mon floating within the blob._

_Four of them were smaller. They had pink bodies with big bright red eyes and poorly defined limbs. A darker pink oval adorned their foreheads. Two dark purple flowers with pink centers dotted each of their bodies, the exact location varying between individuals. Their tapered snouts obscured small mouths._

_Being much larger, the fifth was most likely the evolved form. Its body had a similar shape with a more defined snout and more noticeable limbs. Most of the body was plain and dark purple. The head had a similar color to the smaller ones._

_Ironhide's eyes were immediately drawn to the strange pink mist emanating from the large one's forehead. It was slowly obscuring his view of the five. He growled and tried to approach, but the blob always seemed to be the same distance away._

_The mist began glowing after it had enveloped the five. It looked almost like a television screen when the first image appeared._

_He saw a vast dark blue landscape with several electric blue mountains. Several had a mysterious glow about them._

_The image began zooming in on one of the mountains. It lacked a glow, but had a cave._

_Ironhide watched with wide eyes as it zoomed into the cave. The path soon led to a portal of light. Through the portal he saw as strange purple vortex that drew almost everything towards it._

_The only things immune to the effect were several odd beings. Shaped like backwards Ls, they resembled a grotesque mass of pixels._

_Ironhide swore they were looking at him. Fortunately the image quickly zoomed into the vortex, and he then saw what looked like a barren wasteland._

_Aside from the occasional waterfall or lake, it appeared bone dry. The sky was red as blood and there were no celestial bodies. Several rocks and fire pits dotted the landscape._

_Then the image suddenly changed to show several white portals opening above Lavender Town. It cut back to the previous image and showed some of the rocks dropping into pools of white light. Cutting back again, it showed the same rocks dropping out of the portals in the sky._

The dream ended abruptly and Ironhide grew restless.

Cosmo was the first to realize that Ironhide's ball was shaking. He leapt off the couch in the Center's lobby and nudged Firebrand awake.

She grabbed the ball and they were soon outside the center.

Fortunately, it was morning so Nurse Joy had no qualms about letting them out, though she sent one of her aids out to watch over them.

The young girl's eyes widened at sight of the giant onix.

Ironhide looked around briefly to make sure he wasn't crushing anything. There was ample room for him in front of the Pokémon Center though he obstructed most of the path to the main entrance.

Several passersby stopped to stare at the odd collection of pokémon before going about their business.

Soon Ironhide had growled out the contents of his dream. He didn't recognize the pokémon, but gathered that they were trying to tell him something about the pocket dimension.

Firebrand maintained a serious face, nodding and growling at appropriate points.

Cosmo perked up when Ironhide said what he thought it all meant.

Firebrand also smiled and she soon had Ironhide back in the great ball. After letting Cosmo onto her shoulder, she flew towards the outskirts of the city.

"Hey wait for me!" Nurse Joy's disgruntled aid began chasing after her.

XXXOXXX

Vander noticed his breath becoming shallow. His pace had slowed considerable. _Strange…I usually don't get tired so fast._ He stopped and removed his backpack before sitting.

"Hyah?" Vega floated over to him.

"Sorry Vega. I just need to rest." He ran out of breath and began panting. "I've been feeling…tired…"

"Hyah!" Vega leaned closer. His trainer definitely looked different.

Vander's tan appeared to be fading away, making his skin unusually pale. Breathing was fast becoming a chore and his eyes felt as if they had been staring at a computer screen for hours.

Several small, candle-shaped pokémon appeared. They had white wax-like bodies and a blue flame on top. Being in the Spirit World, they were most likely ghosts.

Vega first noticed them when it heard the chattering.

They were surrounded.

Looking from its trainer to the ghosts around them, Vega noticed a pattern. The flames grew bigger as Vander grew weaker. "Hyah!" Vega leapt into the air and began spinning. Water sprayed out of all ten legs.

As expected, the spray seemed to drive the ghosts away. Their flames had given them away as fire types. Flames stopped growing as the ghosts retreated. However they began circling after moving beyond Vega's attack range.

It stopped spinning to conserve energy, floating over Vander. Vega was powerless to stop what the ghosts did next.

Each formed a ball of black energy above it.

Vega soon had to contend with a barrage Shadow balls. It spun, firing off Swift, and Water Guns to try and destroy all the orbs. However, a few inevitably passed through its defense. There was a brief explosion as several balls struck it.

The ghosts resumed chattering as the starfish plummeted.

Vega was barely able to prop itself up with two legs. Weakened by the super effective hits, it could only watch as the ghosts used Psychic to claim its helpless trainer.

Hours seemed to pass.

Vega eventually mustered up the strength to use Psychic. It saw Vander's discarded backpack and opened the zipper to the main pouch.

Out came the cooking pot, along with the food inside.

Vega opened the lid of the pot and managed to extract several berries before its psychic energy ran out. Slowly, It slowly flipped onto its back and began crawling towards the food.

XXXOXXX

Ironhide's eyes shot open. He was panting. His latest attempt had failed and it was already sunset. While he had gotten a glimpse of the pocket dimension, it had quickly slipped away.

Cosmo's ears drooped when Ironhide shook his head.

Firebrand briefly stopped her mid-air training routine when she heard Ironhide's apologetic growl. She landed and picked up Ironhide's great ball.

The rock snake nodded and was soon back inside his ball.

Their first day was over, but Firebrand still mustered a smile as she carried Cosmo and Ironhide's ball back to the Center.

Ironhide had mentioned getting a brief glimpse of the pocket dimension. It was more progress than he had made since the start of his training. Perhaps the desire to save Vander had given him a needed boost.

Fortunately, Nurse Joy had been generous enough to offer them a home. She also fed them, even procuring the meat Firebrand needed. However, it was uncertain how long this arrangement could last.

XXXOXXX

Having eaten several berries, Vega stood with renewed strength. There was no telling how long it had been. Perhaps Vander was no longer alive.

The ghosts would still be around. Perhaps they thought it had died already.

Vega began focusing on its psychic sense. If the ghosts had taken its trainer with psychic, it could still track them.

There was a large mass of strange pressures several miles away. They outnumbered it, making a direct attack suicide.

Remembering the stones, Vega began blasting several glowing mountains with Power Gem. Its effort yielded a large pile of glowing fragments. Taking some stones with it, Vega flew towards the source of the pressures.

Almost an hour later, a large cluster of mountains appeared on the horizon. They weren't too large; most likely double Ironhide's length in height. None of them had any glow.

Vega sensed the pressures within.

The mountains formed a circle. The sides were smooth, making it difficult to climb.

It easily floated above them and peered down from behind one of the peaks.

The ghosts were there. They surrounded a larger one, most likely their evolved form.

Vander was there too, unconscious and vulnerable, but alive. His breathing seemed less labored and color seemed to have returned to his cheeks.

The flames atop the ghosts were not swelling. They were letting him recover.

Pushing aside the stream of questions, Vega scanned the area below. Then it went to work setting up for its assault. It would need more stones so it turned back to where it had left Vander's backpack, hoping the ghosts wouldn't consume him before it returned.

XXXOXXX

Vander wasn't sure when he had lost consciousness. His mind had slipped away during Vega's valiant battle against the swarm of ghosts.

_He found himself in a strange cave, facing a purple blob that contained five pokémon he couldn't recognize._

_Mist slowly began clouding the blob. It emerged from the forehead of the large one. All five were soon obscured and the mist began glowing before the first image appeared._

_Vander recognized the purple and blue expanse of the Spirit World._

_The image soon zoomed into one of the mountains, revealing a cave located a short distance up the side. There was a portal inside, through which one entered a vortex._

_Vander's eyes would have widened at the sight of the strange backwards L-shaped beings living within the vortex. However he was paralyzed as he watched._

_The world beyond the vortex seemed more red than blue. A few rivers, lakes, and waterfalls stood out among the red sky and earth. There were many rocks and a few fire pits strewn across the land. Then the image cut away._

_Vander saw an onix, who he quickly identified as Ironhide._

_He was on the outskirts of Lavender Town. Closing his eyes, he looked as if he were focusing. Then white portals appeared above him._

_Vander recognized the move._

_The image cut away to the previous location. It showed white puddles forming on the ground, underneath several objects in that world. Soon the objects had fallen into the puddles._

_The image cut back to Ironhide, showing the same objects descending from the portal above him._

Vander sat up, his heart racing and eyes wide. Then he remembered the events before his sleep. He looked around, and saw several of the candle-shaped ghosts around him.

They were in what looked like a crater or some sort of circular depression. Mountains surrounded them like a fortress. The ability to float granted the ghosts free access, but the smooth rock faces made it impossible to scale the sides.

"_Ah…you are fully rested,"_ came a feminine voice.

Though it was telepathic, Vander instinctively looked up and saw the source.

The ghost was shaped like a chandelier. It had a round head with black stripes and two circular yellow eyes that lacked pupils. A ring of small spikes adorned its head like a crown with a tall purple flame as its centerpiece. Two curled black arms were attached to the spike below its head, the tips of which ended in purple flames.

His strength having return, Vander almost leapt to his feet. "What are you?"

"_You would not know what we are,"_ replied the ghost. _"Humans generally only encounter our kind in the Unova region. However, through the Spirit World, we can gain access to any region."_

_They're definitely ghosts._ Vander glanced around at the group surrounding him before returning his gaze to the leader. _Those are flames, so I guess they're fire types too._

"_You are correct,"_ said the head ghost. She saw his eyes widened and chuckled. _"You can't keep secrets from me. My telepathic abilities can easily conquer your mind."_

He felt himself starting to sweat. _I'm…powerless. Where's Vega?_

"_My children left your starmie for dead when they brought you here. Its fate should not concern you." _She floated closer until she was directly in front of him. _"In case you are wondering what to call us, I am Chandelure. The smaller ones, my children, are called litwick."_

Vander took a step back, but soon became aware of the litwick behind him.

"_Take heart young one," _said Chandelure. _"Your soul is going to a good cause. Its strength will provide me with sustenance so that I may help my kind combat a great threat."_ The flame above her head began swelling.

"Why me?"

"_You are among several people with what I call strong souls. In other words, your soul is like the lard of souls. My…organization is composed off pokémon who feed off the residual energy of humans."_

Vander's eyes widened. _Like drowsee and hypno!_

"_Correct."_ Chandelure paralyzed Vander with Psychic and began dragging him towards her. _"Do not think you are too special. Statistically, one in every hundred people will have souls like yours. It was nothing personal, you just happened to be my next target."_

Then Vander felt immense pain shoot through him. The Psychic hold prevented him from squirming or crying out.

"_It was nothing personal until you cost me several loyal followers. That includes Dusknoir, my best courier."_ Her main flame doubled in size as her voice grew fiercer.

The litwick began chanting. It was similar to the drowsee, but far more high-pitched.

Try as he might, Vander couldn't move.

"_I am going to savor this-"_ Chandelure was cut off by several litwick crying out in pain. _"What?"_ She dropped Vander and began looking around frantically as her litwick began dropping.

Vander breathed deeply as he stood up. _Those holes…_ He saw several holes in the bodies of the fallen litwick. Soon he made out the glowing blue rocks scattered among them.

"_Enough!"_ Chandelure used her own telekinesis to stop several flying stones.

However, more came from over the mountains. They struck from all angles, pelting many more litwick.

The ghosts' high-pitched chattering filled the air as their flames flicked about wildly. Many crashed into each other as they flew around.

Rocks appeared to be flying in from all sides.

_It has to be a powerful psychic…that starmie perhaps._ Chandelure shot up into the air, shielding herself from the small stones with her own psychic powers.

From its post behind one of the mountain peaks, Vega had managed to knock out at least half the litwick. Its gem was glowing bright blue as it pelted the ghosts with stones hidden along the many mountain peaks.

Having grabbed a handful of stones, Vander threw them at the litwick. He kept several fragments in his cargo pants pockets.

"Show yourself!" Chandelure began blasting the peaks around her with Shadow Balls. The orbs created blue dust clouds as they blew up against the peaks

Vega ceased its attack and used Rapid Spin to evade an oncoming Shadow Ball. Using the dust as cover, it dove into the midst of the litwick.

More litwick fell, pelted by Vander's stones or knocked out by Vega's Water Gun.

Chandelure looked down and found her target. _"You shall pay for this!"_ She swooped to Vega's level and began charging a Shadow Ball.

"Hyah!" Sensing her approach, it used Psychic to capture one of the litwick.

Chandelure's flame flared up, but she stopped charging the attack. _"Children! To me!"_

Of those litwick still able to float only a few overcame the confusion to rally around their mother.

Vander threw a handful of stone fragments at Chandelure's back.

Several litwick intercepted the stones. They dropped almost immediately.

"_No more of that!"_ Chandelure used Psychic to paralyze Vander and brought him to her. _"This is now very personal! I would have let you go starfish, but now you will suffer along with your master!"_

Vega suddenly dropped its hostage.

The litwick had calmed and now held the starfish with their own psychic powers. Several of them hit it with Shadow Balls.

Vega's gem began beeping as it collapsed onto its back.

"Now with no further interruptions!" She began pulling Vander towards her. The flame atop her head and the four on her arms began growing.

Vander's breathing became labored and he was mere inches from the ghost's flame. Then he was pulled inside. The flames not only burned his soul, but also scorched his clothing. His cargo pants pockets gave way and released their contents.

Chandelure let out a horrible scream.

Vander's eyes widened as he fell through the ghost's body. Though weakened, he still mustered the strength to crawl away from her.

The litwick all screamed, crying out "master" or "mother." They ignored Vander and rushed over to their fallen leader.

"Vega." Still unable to stand, Vander grabbed hold of the starfish. "I know you're tired, but I need you to get us out of here. I can't climb up those mountains."

"Hy-yah!" In spite of its beeping gem, Vega made its gem glows. It soon had them both over the partially flattened peak of one mountain. However, its psychic energy gave out.

Vander held Vega close as they hit the slope on the other side. He wanted to shut his eyes as they slid down the edge. _I hope my pants don't get too torn up._

Made with thick fabric, the pants would normally withstand the stress of sliding down the mountain. However the flames from Chandelure had weakened the fabric in some places.

After the slid off the mountain, Vander immediately felt the hole at the back of his pants. His body was also scraped in other places. While the ghostly flame had burned away part of his soul, it had also done minor physical damage.

"Flame…body." Vander sighed as he felt his hair. _I'll need to cut it and start growing from scratch._ Fortunately, his face, and fingers had not been exposed long enough to burn. His clothes had protected the rest of his body. Though he wanted to lie down, Vega constant beeping kept him going.

The starfish could not even speak. Its beeps sounded like an alarm.

Even with his soul partially consumed, Vander still had enough strength to move after a quick rest. He shakily got to his feet and picked Vega up before stumbling away from the ring of mountains.

The starfish had apparently thought things through. It had left Vander's backpack, a short distance away from the mountains.

Vander mustered a small smile as set Vega down before collapsing next to the backpack. _Wow…it probably knew I would find it over here. It even figured it out where to drop us while under pressure._

Vega's gem continued beeping. "Hy…yah…"

Vander took a deep breath and sat up. _Good, the bag's already open._ He reached in and extracted the cooking pot. His finger shook, lacking his usual dexterity.

There were only two berries left.

"I hope this is enough," Vander said as he propped Vega up and began feeding it. "I'll...try and get more. If we escape." When the starfish had finished eating, Vander set it back down before collapsing next to it.

Though they were out in the open, neither had the strength to move. If the litwick came back, the pair would be at their mercy. They could only hope that Chandelure's injuries bought them enough time.

XXXOXXX

Though injured, Chandelure had little trouble recovering once the stones had fallen through her body. Her five flames were less than half their normal size.

The litwick surrounded her like worker ants around their queen.

"_He…He must not be allowed to escape…"_ Her voice was still feminine, but came out deeper. _"I…I will have his soul and that starfish's as well."_ She paused as the litwick gave her some space. _"Find them! Find them now!"_

"I'm afraid I cannot allow that."

The ghosts all turned and saw a tall man standing at the far end of their lair.

He had crimson eyes, pale skin, and wavy shoulder length blond hair. His clothing consisted of a brown long-sleeved shirt and jeans with a bright red vest with four pockets. Judging by the six poké balls on his belt and the jellicent at his side, he was a pokémon trainer.

"_How dare you come into my domain human?"_ She floated closer to him. _"Children. Surround this fool! The boy can wait!"_

"I'm afraid you will not be getting that boy or anyone else," replied the man coolly.

"_You're the man to save him?"_ Her eyes began glowing, but stopped abruptly. _What? I…I can't read his mind!_

He began chuckling and shaking his head. "You've got me all wrong. I don't care if the boy makes it out of here alive. I just can't allow you to draw more power from him." His eyes suddenly became fierce. "In fact, now that you've been weakened, this is the perfect opportunity to…" As he gave her a toothy grin his face began to warp. "…Eliminate you!"


	13. A Costly Escape

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon or have any rights to it.

**Note:** This will be my last update for a while (I will be working on finishing Galactic War).

* * *

Vander was dreaming again. It had started out in a similar way to the previous. However it took a different turn once the mist enveloped the five unknown pokémon.

_The first image was of the cave in the mountainside, but it soon zoomed out. _

_Soon Vander saw the entire mountain and then he had a bird's eye view of the surrounding area. The view centered on the mountain of interest and soon moved in a straight line. Vander couldn't decipher anything from this until a very distinct mountain appeared._

_It actually looked like three mountains fused together with the three peaks forming a sort of crown._

_As the view slowly moved past the crowned peak, Vander saw a familiar ring of mountains. His eyes would have widened if he weren't numb._

As the dream progressed, the pair remained motionless on the ground. Several minutes had passed since they fell asleep.

Having been victorious, the blonde man stood over them with a broad grin. "Well Mr. Winkles," he said to the large venusaur standing next to him. "It's that same boy we met two years ago, the brother of subject #89. Shall we give him a sporting chance?" His voice was high-pitched for a man's and had a hint of flamboyance.

The reptile in question did his best approximation of a shrug. While his trainer stood at least six feet tall, Mr. Winkles dwarfed him by at least a foot.

Reaching into a vest pocket, the blonde man produced a small, multicolored, berry. "Not that they'll amount to much, but it'll be an interesting surprise if he comes up again." He set the berry near Vander's face. "Once I report Chandelure's demise, it is highly unlikely he'll receive any further help from Pinkie."

"Saur," growled Mr. Winkles before nudging his trainer.

The man shrugged before turning away from Vander. He recalled Mr. Winkles before walking away. Striding confidently, he knew exactly where to go.

When Vander awoke he was in a daze. _The ground feels so cozy…the air is like a blanket…I don't want to get up._ He soon noticed the berry lying by his face. _What kind of berry is this? Where did it come from?_ Pushing the thought aside, he placed it in the pot with the other food.

Vega also awoke around the same time. While also in a daze, its strength had been depleted. It had to beep a few times to communicate its inability to stand.

"I think I know a way to escape," Vander said, changing into fresh clothes and discarding the old ones. "I had this dream...like the one from before, but different." He pulled out his sketchbook and turned to a fresh page before doing a rough sketch of the five pokémon.

"Hy-yah!"

"Just a moment," Vander said, finishing up the crude sketch. "I think we need to find some cave." _Strange…I usually can't remember dreams like this so easily._ Returning his notebook to the bag, he began gathering their food. "We should try and find it as soon as possible. "Our food's running low and I don't think anything grows in the Spirit World."

Vega seemed to get noticeably stronger after Vander fed it the remaining berries. The new berry was one that it refused to eat. While acutely aware that it had no other food left, it insisted Vander eat the last berry.

Vander frowned before pocketing he strange fruit. "I should carry you," he said after swallowing some weeds. "We'll need your powers if Chandelure attacks."

"Hyah?"

Vander smiled as stood and put on his backpack. "I'll be fine. This'll be great exercise and I do have some food left." _I actually understand it…a little at least,_ he thought with a smile. Then he related the contents of his dream to Vega. "…And going through the cave will take us to the pocket dimension. Then we just have to wait until Ironhide…Rock Slides us out." He took a deep breath as he realized the flaw.

Vega remained silent.

Vander took a deep breath. "There's a big hole in this, but I don't have anything else to go on." _It's completely out of my control._ He picked Vega up and began walking around the ring of mountains, wary of Chandelure and on the look out for the crowned peak.

XXXOXXX

Ironhide had been dreaming of the pocket dimension for several days. Perhaps it took the appearance of the strange pokémon for him to realize it. Now he recognized that barren landscape that he had had fleeting memories of upon waking.

Firebrand noticed the improvement. It was their third and Ironhide looked more eager than worried. Now Cosmo concerned her.

At first he had just seemed sad, his ears drooping whenever their training ended in failure. Now he seemed to have a perpetual frown during their training.

She watched the feline's Sand Attack practice.

Cosmo stopped kicking up dirt and turned to examine the small hole he had made. He frowned.

"_And what exactly are you going to do?"_

His ears drooped upon remembering Dusknoir. What could he have done? He tried to hiss angrily and make his fur bristle. However his ears refused to go up. The energy wasn't there.

The other two could have done something. Firebrand could fly in the stratosphere, carry a golem and potentially melt boulders. Ironhide could lift a few tons like a crane, survive several tons of pressure and burrow underground at highway speed.

His best feats were kicking up dirt to create a small hole and climbing Ironhide without losing balance. Cosmo felt the ground shake a little as Firebrand landed nearby.

She bent over and nudged the feline with her snout.

Cosmo leaned into her, but kept his eyes fixed on the hole he had made.

Meanwhile, Ironhide had blocked out his senses. Soon he was tuning out his thoughts and memories. The hope that he could see Vander again, coupled with his recent progress overwhelmed his guilt. However, the image of the Pocket Dimension would not remain in his head for more than a few seconds. While an improvement he still lacked time to summon anything.

XXXOXXX

They had passed the crowned peak hours ago. It was their longest walk since they had first arrived. There were no caves in the smooth conical mountains around them.

Vander stopped to yawn and stretch. _Everything looks the same and why do I feel so sleepy?_ He had plenty of energy and his body shouldn't have been fatigued. The air…it's so warm. With a vigorous headshake he kept moving, only stopping to gather more glowing stones.

Vega remained silent, wedged securely between Vander and his backpack. Its only exertion was helping Vander look out for any caves. When the boy yawned again, it felt an odd pressure. The ghosts had been masking it from the psychic sense, but now it knew. The world itself wanted Vander to sleep.

Vander spotted the mountain an hour later as his head turned right. "There…I see it." He pointed at a dark hole that marred the otherwise blue surface of one of the mountains. While he couldn't scale the slope, it took only a few minutes to find the bottom of the path that spiraled up the mountain to the cave.

They hugged the mountainside on the way up. Even with the lack of wind or air currents the drowsing effect gave them plenty to worry about. The cave was pitch-black labyrinth that spiraled down into the heart of the mountain.

_Glad I bought you_, Vander thought, gripping the flashlight. It was the only light source in the cave. He stopped several times to yawn, stretch or rub his eyes. The darkness seemed to amplify the drowsing effect.

A swirling marked the end of the tunnel.

He returned the flashlight to the belt before taking a deep breath and stifled a yawn. "You ready Vega?"

"Hyah!"

Vander nodded and wasted no time entering the portal. Moments later he felt weightless. "This is new…"

An unknown force began pulling them towards the end of the vortex at a snail's pace. The exit was like a small dark speck.

Vander sighed and shook his head. "This is taking too long. Let's swim for it."

"Hyah!"

As Vega moved on its own, Vander began kicking and moving his arms elliptically. _The air's as thick as water! I can't move very fast!_ He tried not to exert too much energy. The black spot was growing, but not very much.

High-pitched sounds filled the vortex. They didn't sound organic, almost like the beeps Vega made. Soon, several shapes began appeared all around the pair. Their high-pitched cries merged to form an unpleasant chorus.

Vander winced, resisting the urge to cover his ears. "We're surrounded!"

"Hyah!"

As he looked around warily, Vander remembered the beings from his dream. Some were shaped like backwards Ls while others were squares. All have an unusual appearance. _They look almost…two-dimensional…like they're glitches form a computer game._

Several darted towards the pair, their bodies glowing bright red. The attack altered their shapes to resemble badminton birdies.

Vega sensed the danger first. It knocked a few back with Water Gun.

"Ow!" Vander cringed as one struck him in the gut. His eyes widened as he tried to swipe at it. _It's like I'm in water._

The being dashed away as if it moved through air.

Vega was having similar problems. Ranged hit their mark, but Rapid Spin came out much slower.

Several beings evaded its attacks and slammed into its gem.

It Hardened as more hits connected.

_These things are using Sky Attack!_ Vander's eyes widened as one curved underneath him before coming up into his gut. He tightened his abs to try and minimize the pain. _I can do this!_ His body curled up to protect his vulnerable parts.

Another Sky Attack connected with his backpack's front pouch.

Vander cringed on behalf of his notebook.

The black vortex lay just one hundred yards away.

Vega's vision blurred when another Sky Attack hit its gem. Several more hits made its world spin.

Vander saw an opening and swam over to Vega.

It felt Vander's grip. He was pointing it away from their destination.

"Use Swift!"

The spray of stars made them move a little faster. However, it was not much faster than Vander's swimming.

Vega felt dizzy.

Another wave of Sky Attacks knocked into them from several sides. One caught Vega in the gem, widening the fissures already present.

Its world began going dark. Swift began fizzling out.

_No!_ Vander managed to turn around and kicked. _Just a few more feet_, he thought as the black vortex drew closer.

The high-pitched shrieks died down.

They made it through a few seconds later. The other side was warm, but the ground was hard.

Vander slowly pushed up into a sitting position before removing his backpack. His body smarted from the impact. He gasped at Vega's condition.

It had been on the bottom when they fell and its gem had hit the ground.

"Oh my god! Vega! Vega!" He laid the starfish on the ground. His heart raced when he got no response. "Vega!" He gave one of its legs a shake.

Vega's gem suddenly began flashing and beeping, like an alarm. However this only lasted a few seconds before the beeping got slower and quieter. It was like a dying machine. Then it suddenly went silent. "Hy-ah…"

Vander sighed. _It's tired but…_ "We'll be okay." _I hope._ His adrenalin was ever present as he took in their surroundings. "We made it to the pocket dimension. Now we just need to wait and hope Ironhide can…" The obvious problems came to mind. He distracted himself by eying a nearby stream. "I'll get you some water."

Vega's response was inaudible to the human ear.

XXXOXXX

He could see the wasteland. The red sky, barren ground interspersed with rivers, and pits of fire were now quite familiar. Ironhide tried to focus on some of the rocks. It only took two seconds to create a portal beneath one. That was half his previous record.

Firebrand looked up and saw the small white portal forming. She smiled as the rock fell through.

It only lasted a second before the portal closed. The lower half of the rock fell to the ground.

Firebrand eyed the smooth surface where it had been cut off from the upper half. She didn't want know what the outcome would be if that had been Vander.

Ironhide took a deep breath and opened his eyes. He shook his head upon seeing the bisected rock. It was an improvement. However the sun was setting on his fourth day of training.

Firebrand met his gaze and nodded before returning him. She then landed near Cosmo.

Cosmo had been flicked dirt at a random rock. He turned to frown at the soil covered stone. Then he heard Firebrand landing nearby and turned to hop onto her shoulder.

She craned her neck to gently nudge him with her maw.

Cosmo's ears drooped, but he accepted the comfort. It lasted about a minute before the two returned to the center for dinner and rest.

XXXOXXX

Vander had removed his shirt, wetting it in a nearby stream before covering Vega. He then moved back to the stream for a drink. _At least the water's good._ After taking a few gulps, he gathered filled his cooking pot.

The starfish had been lying on its back since they arrived. Its psychic sense had faded away and the original five were less than optimal when they worked.

Vander placed the pot next to what passed as their camp before wiping sweat from his forehead. He sprinkled a handful of water over the shirt covering Vega. Then he sighed and he laid back on the bed of clothes he had made for them. _I really hope Ironhide pulls us out_, he thought, extracting the mystery berry from his pant's cargo pocket and taking a bite. _Vega won't eat, his gem is broken and there's no shelter for miles._

The climate varied drastically in the Pocket Dimension. They were currently roasting under the intense heat of the sunless sky.

Vander finished the berry and immediately felt new energy surging through him. The normal aches from his bruises seemed to melt away. I wonder what kind of berry that was. Too bad I don't have more. He looked over at a pile of clothes.

They were stacked next to a boulder to his right to be hastily thrown over their bodies when the temperature began to plummet.

Maybe I should have bought some sort of tent… Vander was about to close his eyes when a white light caught his attention.

It looked like a puddle, seeping out from beneath the boulder. Soon it was sinking into the puddle.

Vander sat up with wide eyes. A quick look around revealed more rocks sinking in their vicinity. _Something's using Rock Slide. Is it Ironhide?_

"Hy-ah…" Vega's voice startled its trainer.

Vander's attention shifted to Vega almost immediately. He ignored the falling rocks and knelt beside the starfish. "Your still here." He received no response. "I guess you're too tired to speak." Then he looked around and noted the missing rocks. "We'll need to get through the next portal. I'll have to move you around for that so please hang in there."

There was a small clump of boulders about ten feet away from them.

Vander stood and clutched his forehead as he was struck by dizziness. A flash of red briefly appeared in his vision. Then he stood to drink some water from the pot before beginning the process of moving their bags to rocks.

XXXOXXX

Firebrand looked up as rocks fell out of the white portals.

Ironhide's jaw was clenched as if he were straining to lift a heavy object. He relaxed as the portals closed, panting for a few minutes before looking up to growl at Firebrand.

Her eyes widened as she heard the news. He had seen them! Off course Ironhide couldn't make a portal beneath them, but that was at least a step up. At least she knew they were alive.

Ironhide shook his head. Off course his technique would only work with rocks. Their only hope was for Vander to figure things out on the other end. He looked over at Cosmo. At least the news was improving his mood a little.

Cosmo perked up noticeable when Firebrand told him about Ironhide's vision. However his ears were soon drooping again. No doubt Vega had rescued Vander from Dusknoir on the other side. Meanwhile, Ironhide was working to bring them both back, while Firebrand looked after them both at night. He wasn't contributing anything.

XXXOXXX

Vega hadn't spoken or reacted to anything since the first Rock Slide.

Vander stuffed their clothes into the backpack, which was now leaning against a boulder. He sat leaning against that same boulder with Vega to his right and the cooking pot to his left.

The Pocket Dimension was as hot as ever.

Vander would periodically drink water to replenish what he had lost in sweat. He also made sure the shirt covering Vega was damp enough. _I really hope it doesn't suddenly get cold_, he thought as his eyes closed. He didn't want to open his eyes under the intense heat. Keeping them closed was far too comfortable.

A small light appeared in Vega's gem, before slowly fading away. It went unnoticed by its trainer.

Vander had fallen asleep when the sinking rock woke him. He stood with a start and turned to see the rock halfway through. He had his backpack on in a moment. With the pot in his right hand and Vega held against him by his left, he stepped into the widening puddle of light.

They sank slowly. However the portal stayed open a few seconds after the rock went through. Soon they were plummeting after the rock towards a field below.

Firebrand's eyes widened. Wasting no time, she flew to intercept them.

Ironhide opened his eyes. He looked up as Firebrand caught Vander and Vega.

Firebrand carried the pair to where Ironhide and Cosmo were waiting. She set them down as gently as possible.

Vander then registered the colder weather, and the feeing of grass under his shirtless back. I'm…I'm safe. We're safe. He smiled. His eyes shut as his fatigue overwhelmed the shivering. It would be a long and deep sleep.

The three pokémon smiled at the sight of their trainer. He was weak, but very mush alive. Then they looked at Vega and their expression fell instantly.

XXXOXXX

Vander knew he was somewhere soft and warm. He smelt the lemony odor of a cleaning agent. He then heard the beeps of some alien machine. Then he felt the tube attached to his right arm.

Unlike Vega's beeps, the machine's seemed devoid of any voice.

His eyes only took a moment to adjust to the light. The tube was an IV tube attached to a sack of nutrients. There were other wires attached to his chest area, connected to a machine that displayed his vital signs.

It was a hospital.

Vander wanted to sit upright, but he lacked the energy when he tried. _At least my back's covered._ His eyelids felt heavy. The warmth of the bed beckoned him to resume sleep. He fought through it and began looking around.

Unfortunately, nothing outside the room was visible. A green curtain obscured his view of everything to the right beyond his IV and the beeping machine.

To the left he saw Cosmo.

The feline was asleep, curled up on a cushioned chair at the corner of the room. There were four poké balls on the table next to him.

Based on the light filtering through the closed curtains, it was daytime. Though there was no way to tell the time.

Vander's other supplies were there as well, confined to a cardboard box under the table. As Vander looked around, his sleepy haze began to lift. He eventually found the energy to sit up. His left hand shot up from under the covers to massage his throbbing forehead.

Cosmo stirred as the door beyond the curtain opened.

Vander turned to look as a nurse pulled the curtain aside.

She was not Nurse Joy, having darker brown hair tied up in a bun. She wore a sea green apron and clean white clothes underneath. "Good morning," she said with a cheery smile. "You've been out for two days and it's a good thing you got here when you did. You haven't eaten properly for several days."

"Are we in Lavender Town?"

The nurse shook her head. "There aren't any hospitals meant for humans in Lavender Town. We're in Saffron City."

Vander's eyes widened, but he resisted the urge to stand. "Saffron…how did we get here? What happened?"

The nurse moved to the window and opened the curtains. "You passed out near Lavender Town. Your pokémon were around to move you, but the Pokémon Center there wasn't equipped to treat humans. Your charizard had to carry you here."

Vander turned to look at the IV. _It's a good thing the Pocket Dimension had water._ Then he realized something. _Vega!_ "My starmie! Where is it?"

"It was rushed to emergency care in the Lavender Town Center. We haven't received any updates on its condition. All your other pokémon are here." She pointed to Cosmo and the poké balls.

Cosmo then opened his eyes and gave the nurse a weak smile. When he noticed Vander had awoken, he bounded towards the bed with renewed energy. One leap had him up on the bed, licking and nuzzling Vander's cheek.

It brought a smile to Vander. He began relaxing as his left hand stroked Cosmo's thick winter coat. "Are you three alright?"

Cosmo nodded, but then his ears drooped.

Vander frowned and nodded before looking back at the nurse. "When can I find out about Vega?"

"I think that will have to wait until you've recovered enough to walk. Stress is not a good thing for someone in your condition, but…" She moved beyond the curtain and could be heard riffling through drawers on the other side. "Now that you're awake, you can eat real food and speed up the process."

Cosmo leapt back down as the nurse set down his bowl of pokémon food.

The nurse then set a bowl of cereal with milk on the bedside table to Vander's left. "Eat this for now. I'll tell the staff to start preparing meals for you."

Vander nodded and tested his arm strength before tentatively picking up the bowl and setting it on his lap. He was acutely aware of the IV attached to his right arm as he began using it to move food from the bowl to his mouth. It took him half an hour to eat what used to be a ten-minute meal.

In that time, Cosmo had wolfed down his food and moved to the window to stare at people in the streets below.

After returning the bowl to the bedside table, Vander leaned back and took a deep breath. His felt drained, but not sleepy.

The nurse returned a few minutes later. "I'll be taking your onix and charizard to the courtyard for their breakfast."

"My charizard needs meat and onix needs soil."

She nodded. "We know that, but here in the hospital, we use specially formulated pokémon food. All blends are personalized for each species and have the same effect as their natural diet."

"Oh…" Vander nodded. _I'll have to start buying that._ "Is the courtyard big enough for my onix? He's bigger than normal."

She shook her head. "Off course. It is a pretty large courtyard. We wanted to give a room overlooking it, but all of them were filled."

Their conversation ended and the nurse left room moments later.

Vander heard a sigh and looked over a Cosmo. He noted the feline's drooped ears as he watched the people in the streets below. "Hey Cosmo…how are you feeling?"

He turned to look and his trainer before leaping off the windowsill and approaching the bed. Once there he began miming his Sand Attack practice. Then he stopped and shook his head before doing a mock threat display at the wall. His bristling fur and erect ears sagged moments later.

It took a few minutes for Vander process it all. _He doesn't like Sand Attack? No…it looks more like he doesn't think it's good enough._ He fixated on the mock threat display. "Dusknoir and Team Rocket. Does this have anything to do with what happened with either of them?"

Cosmo nodded.

"Alright…" _So Sand Attack wasn't good enough when we faced them. Maybe…_ "Do you want me to train you for actual battles?"

Cosmo nodded, slower than normal. Then he shook his head vigorously when Vander asked about him using Tackle.

Vander sighed. "I guess I can think of something. I'll need to research what moves you know, and you'll need to pick out an evolved form. We'll pick up Vega in Lavender Town first. Then we'll head over to Pallet Town. That's where we'll start."

Cosmo nodded and then began nuzzling Vander's face.

Vander remained bedridden for three days, though the IV was removed on the first. Once able to move about he accompanied the nurse to the courtyard for Firebrand and Ironhide's feeding.

The place was a stark contrast to the lemony, antiseptic halls of the hospital. A border of plants followed the outer rim, broken only where there was an entrance. Two larger rectangular beds stood at the far ends of the courtyard with benches on the left and right. The space between the beds was mostly open, giving Ironhide enough room to stand.

In spite of the winter weather, there were other people, and pokémon out. They were wrapped in warm clothes with the pokémon sitting on their laps or running around the beds. All the pokémon were mammalian, growlithe, meowth or pikachu.

The faces of the two larger pokémon brightened at the sight of him.

While noticeably skinnier due to muscle atrophy, Vander was still strong enough to move without aid. His once charred hair had been cut back. He was even wearing his own clothes, a black long-sleeved shirt with cargo pants.

Cosmo leapt off Vander's shoulder to sniff at the flowering plants grown along the borders of the courtyard.

Firebrand grabbed Vander by the shoulders and pulled him in for a hug. A soft growl escaped her as she nuzzled the crest of his head.

Vander remained as he buried his head in her surprisingly soft belly.

Ironhide leaned towards Vander as he broke away from Firebrand. His eyes were moistening.

Vander smiled and reached up to stroke his maw with both hands. He felt Ironhide nudging him gently.

Then the feeding commenced moments later. The nurse had brought two bowls. One was the size of a dinner plate and had the depth of Vander's cooking pot. The other, obviously meant for Ironhide, was half the size of an average bathtub.

With the help of several blissey, the nurse had also managed to lug all the food into the courtyard. She would not allow Vander to help out yet.

The feeding was mostly unremarkable, but Vander was immediately drawn to Ironhide. _This is the first time I've seen him eat anything! I really want my sketchbook!_

The rock snake had adapted to feeding this way and he would admit that this food could fill him up more easily than soil. However, it still felt awkward to lean down and shovel food into his mouth.

"We'll be going back home," Vander said as the two finished their meals. "I think we should go home and rest a little. I also want to visit the Professor in Pallet Town. Are you two okay with that?"

Ironhide nodded slowly.

Firebrand's face brightened noticeably and her flame swelled and flicked about excitedly. She nodded vigorously.

Cosmo began running around excitedly.

Vander nodded back. "Great, then we're all set." He returned them to their balls and the followed the nurse to the nearest videophone.

Cosmo leapt onto his shoulder and then move to Vander's lap

She took a deep breath, as if expecting something bad. "I'll type in the Lavender Center's number," she said apprehensively. When she got to the last one she paused and asked "are you sure you're ready to find out?" When Vander nodded, she proceeded.

The loading screen appeared moments later, accompanied by a dial tone.

"Hello," said Nurse Joy as her face appeared on screen. Her eyes widened as she recognized Vander and her cheerful demeanor melted away. "Oh…you're probably calling about your starmie."

Vander picked up on the change in mood. "How is it?" he asked warily.

Nurse Joy took a deep breath. "Your starmie was alive when it reached our Pokémon Center, but…" She blinked a few times and her gaze shifted around the room before retuning to meet Vander's. "The damage to its gem was too severe. Maybe if we had gotten to it a day earlier…I'm sorry. Your starmie…it didn't make it."

Cosmo's ears drooped. He immediately recalled the moment Dusknoir took Vander to the Spirit World.

Vander didn't feel anything at first. His eyes moved down to the keyboard and remained there. _Vega's…gone?_ After taking a deep breath he asked, "it's dead?"

"…Yes."

Vander nodded. "…I'll come over soon." The call ended there, but Vander remained seated at the videophone for a few moments. His eyes widened when he felt the nurse's hand on his back and he flinched before standing. "Don't do that," he said quietly before walking to the courtyard.

Cosmo followed on the ground. He suddenly didn't feel like jumping around.

"Where are you going?"

"I need to tell my other pokémon."

After finding a large enough space, Vander sent out his other two pokémon.

Ironhide looked around and then back down at his trainer.

Firebrand frowned as she examined Vander.

His shoulders were slumped and he seemed to have less energy than before. Then the corners of his lips curled downwards and his eyes began watering.

Firebrand looked at Cosmo and saw something similar. She placed a hand on Vander's right shoulder.

Ironhide leaned in.

Vander shut his eyes and rubbed them. Then he took a deep breath. "I just talked to the nurse joy in Lavender Town."

The two larger pokémon leaned a little closer.

He looked up at the two pokémon. "She told me…Vega." Dampness returned to his eyes. "They…they couldn't save it." As his eyes shut tightly, his face scrunched up and his lips lower lips quivered.

Firebrand pulled him in for a hug. Her flame had shrunk severely and her eyes were also moistening.

Cosmo leaned against Vander's right leg, dampening the pant with his tears.

Ironhide carefully coiled around the group, effectively blocking all of them from outside viewing. His head rested on a rocky segment and his eyes shut tightly. A carefully observer could see his eyes and lips quivering.

They would remain as they were for almost an hour.

XXXOXXX

In light of his aversion to flying on Firebrand, the hospital agreed to have someone drive Vander to Lavender Town. They departed Saffron in the morning and arrived around noon.

Grey clouds had gathered above the town. There would most likely be frost later in the day.

A cold breeze nipped at Vander and Cosmo's faces once they had exited the car.

Nurse Joy met them at the entrance. She was dressed in long white pants and a matching trench coat that stopped around her knees.

Vander's words came out dull, almost monotone. "Where's the body?"

She led him inside. They moved behind the main desk and into the treatment room.

Lavender Town's treatment center was far from the best. The back room consisted of a set of cabinets and countertops, like those found in a kitchen, on the right wall and an energy restoration machine on the left. There were three doors at the back of the room. The left door was labeled for food storage, while the right contained various medicines and cleaning equipment.

The middle door led to what passed for an emergency room. It was about the size of Vander's room at the hospital, but the central operating table took up most of the space. Various machines used to monitor vital signs or provide nutrients to patients were lined against the back wall. All light came from LEDs on the ceiling.

Vega's body was still on the table, covered by a white cloth.

"You can go outside if you want," Vander said to Cosmo. When the feline chose to stay, he began pulling the cloth away. A few months ago he wouldn't have been able to tell the difference, but now he could even without the cracked gem.

Vega's body was completely rigid. The skin was seemed to be hardened like a rock. A faint smell of decay exuded from it. Then there was the lack of warmth from the gem.

He reached into the gem and removed a loose peace. _It feels like a normal rock…no…more like a tooth._ He clenched it tightly. "Let's bury it today."

"Are you sure you don't want to bury it anywhere else?"

Vander shook his head. "I can't think of anywhere else." He turned to look up at her. "How do we do it?"

"The area around Pokémon Tower is kept clear and open. There is enough room to accommodate pokémon graves for years to come. We'll just need to find a spot and order up a tombstone or whatever marker you prefer. I don't think that'll be ready by today though. We should have the funeral tomorrow morning."

"Okay…we'll do it tomorrow."

"I have your room ready," she added.

He nodded and turned to look over Vega's corpse.

Nurse Joy led Cosmo away for to give him lunch.

With them gone he began running his hand over the corpse. _I could never understand you well enough._ Then he began tearing up again. "You didn't deserve this…" His voice came out quiet and shaky. His whole body was trembling. "It was my fault…my fault." Soon he had leaned over and placed his head on the corpse, crying into it.

* * *

This chapter left several loose threads to be resolve later. Anyway, I have one important question. Did you care about Vega. Vega was always supposed to die. In order to be meaningful, Vega had to be cared about.


End file.
